Sens vs. River Rats 2/25/05 Articles: Rats' firepower dims at end
February 26, 2005

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Matt Graves of Times Union.com

Rats' firepower dims at end

Albany fails to follow high-scoring first period

By MATT GRAVES, Staff writer

ALBANY -- When you put only half as many shots on goal in the last 40 minutes of a game as you had in the first 20, it's pretty tough to beat a high-powered team like Binghamton.

That staggering statistic and some damaging defensive lapses equaled a 5-3 victory for the Senators over the River Rats Friday night in front of 3,636 fans at Pepsi Arena, ending Albany's modest three-game winning streak.

The Rats outshot the Senators and the AHL's scariest line of Jason Spezza-Brendan Bochenski-Antoine Vermette 16-13 in a wild first period, but Albany managed only eight shots on goaltender Ray Emery over the next two periods.

"We didn't exploit their defensemen," said Rats rookie Zach Parise, who assisted on two of his team's three goals. "We weren't getting it behind them like we needed to and taking shots when we had chances. Against a team like that, you're not going to win taking two shots in a period," which is what happened in the second.

The game was a contradiction in itself after a wide-open first period that saw the Senators take a 3-2 lead into the locker room. Spezza scored his 25th goal 4:18 into the game, but the Rats answered on Ahren Nittel's 10th power-play goal and 14th overall at 7:53.

Spezza made a great feed to set up Bochenski's 25th at 8:46, but the Rats came back again when Parise skated around Spezza at the blue line and found Pascal Rheaume for an easy score near the left post at 10:38. Vermette made it 3-2 with a wrister from the slot 30 seconds later.

That was the last scoring until the third period as the Rats managed only two shots -- both from near their own blue line -- in the middle stanza.

"We just didn't play well enough to win," said Rats coach Robbie Ftorek. "We won three face-offs in the second period; they won about 13. If you have the puck, you're going to have an opportunity to score. If you don't have the puck, you have to play defensively, and you don't want to be playing defensively -- especially against that one line."

Former RPI defenseman Brian Pothier scored a power-play goal at 2:47 of the third to make it a two-goal game, but Rheaume's tip-in on a Dean McAmmond shot gave the Rats new life at 14:22 before Denis Hamel's empty-netter snuffed it out.

"If you give them chances like we did defensively," said defenseman Bobby Allen, "they're going to put it in the net."

Albany (18-27-5-5) has lost only two of its past eight games -- both home to Binghamton (31-19-4-4).

Notes: Binghamton enforcer Brian McGrattan missed the game on suspension for a compilation of game misconducts.