Sens vs. Crunch 2/18/05 Articles: Thompson helps B-Sens edge Syracuse
February 19, 2005

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Scott Lauber of Press Connects.com

Thompson helps B-Sens edge Syracuse

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

SYRACUSE -- Amid news that the doomed NHL season may rise up from the ashes as early as today, the downtrodden Binghamton Senators did something similar Friday night.

After losing eight of the last nine games (yet somehow remaining in first place) and being accused by their co-coach of playing without emotion, the Senators got physical early before getting two second-period goals and 38 saves from Billy Thompson to hold on for a 2-1 victory over the Syracuse Crunch.

"It was pretty big because we've been in a bit of a funk here lately," said Thompson, who stopped 14 third-period shots. "The last game wasn't our best game, so we really needed to come out with a good effort on the road."

Brandon Bochenski's goal, a laser over goalie Andrew Penner's glove at 8:59 of the second, held up as the team-leading sixth game-winner for the winger in his exceptional rookie season. It came 4:37 after Josh Langfeld's tap-in of Antoine Vermette's dipsy-doodle move broke a scoreless tie.

Thompson, who stopped the only five shots he saw in relief of Ray Emery in Thursday night's 4-0 home-ice loss to Bridgeport, was brilliant, especially after the Crunch narrowed the margin on Jeff Panzer's goal off a rush by Steven Goertzen 108 seconds into the third period.

He stopped Alexander Svitov's point-blank chance with 14 minutes remaining, made a chest save off Panzer with 6:20 left, then got lucky in the final seconds as a Crunch dump-in took a strange carom off the glass and skidded through the crease.

"Shouldn't have even left the net," Thompson said, shaking his head. "For the most part, I just tried to be in the right place to make a save. We knew they were coming. We wanted to be prepared and the guys kept most of the shots to the outside."

Said Bochenski, "Billy deserved a shutout. He played as good as he's ever played. It was nice to win a close one like that, to keep the puck out of our net. We haven't really won any close games lately."

During the game, most of the Senators were unaware that talks between the NHL and its Players' Association will resume today in Manhattan and that hope may exist once again for a settlement even after Wednesday's doomsday news conference in which the season was canceled.

But word filtered through the cramped visitor's dressing room before the Senators boarded the charter bus for a five-hour trip to Manchester, N.H., where they play the Eastern Conference-leading Monarchs tonight. Nobody was sure what to think.

"I have no idea what to expect," said co-coach John Paddock, who will become an assistant coach in Ottawa whenever the NHL resumes.

Paddock expected the Senators to be better than they were Thursday night, an effort he labeled "pretty pathetic."

They flexed their muscles 3:41 into the game, as enforcer Brian McGrattan and rookie tough guy Danny Bois were involved in a flare-up deep in the Senators' zone. Seven players combined for 102 penalty minutes, and in an attempt to avoid further rough stuff, referee Wes McCauley issued five 10-minute misconducts and ejected Syracuse's Jeremy Reich for joining a tussle between Bois and Crunch defenseman Aaron Johnson.

"I thought we matched (the Crunch's) kind of intensity," Paddock said. "We had some emotion and attitude that we didn't have (Thursday) night. It was a really solid effort."

The rest of the scoreless first period saw the teams swap 12 shots apiece. The best scoring chance came on a two-on-one from Crunch center Mark Hartigan, whose point-blank bid from the circle disappeared into Thompson's catching glove with 2:58 left before the intermission.

"He gave us the kind of goaltending you need in close games," Paddock said. "That save kept the game at 0-0, and it was maybe the biggest save he made."

* Slap shots: Tonight's game in Manchester, N.H., is the first of at least seven that will be simulcast on The Team 1200, an Ottawa sports radio station. Listeners north of the border will hear B-Sens' play-by-play announcer Grady Whittenburg's voice. ... Syracuse forward Chris Ferraro, formerly of the Binghamton Rangers, is out with a broken right hand. ... Former Binghamton Whalers and Rangers wing Chris Cichocki has been named an assistant coach by Grand Rapids.