Sens vs. Phantoms 3/19/05 Articles: Hamel lifts B-Sens in OT; Goal helps Binghamton...
March 20, 2005

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

Hamel lifts B-Sens in OT

Goal helps Binghamton avoid 3rd straight shootout

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- Denis Hamel despises the shootout, so he found the best way to avoid it.

Score in overtime.

With 64 seconds separating the Binghamton Senators from the penalty-shot exercise they loath so much Saturday night, Hamel skated down the right side on a two-on-one and ripped a shot over goalie Antero Niittymaki's glove for a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phantoms before a sellout crowd of 4,710 in the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

The victory keeps the Senators in first place atop the AHL's East Division, two points ahead of the Phantoms and three ahead of the Norfolk Admirals, who surrendered two third-period goals in a 2-1 loss to the Portland Pirates.

"That was a great win for us," Hamel said. "When it's OT like that, you know you've got a chance, but we didn't want to go to the shootout."

The Senators lost back-to-back shootouts Wednesday night against Bridgeport and Friday night against Hershey, and just like in those games, they fell behind 2-0 early to Philadelphia. But they tied the game early in the third period, and Antoine Vermette's goal with 6:48 left gave them a 3-2 lead.

Phantoms winger Jon Sim scored his second goal of the game (and 14th goal in 12 games) with 3:37 left in regulation to force overtime and almost a here-we-go-again shootout scenario.

Vermette, who has points in five straight games, hit the post with 3:37 left in overtime, and Niittymaki made a brilliant right pad save off Hamel on a two-on-one with captain Chris Kelly with 2:45 remaining.

Given another two-on-one on his next shift, Hamel wasn't going to be denied again.

"It was kind of a lucky shot," he said after holding the puck to draw defenseman John Slaney to teammate Brandon Bochenski and blasted a shot over Niittymaki. "I just tried to go glove side, but the ice wasn't that good in overtime. I was lucky it went where I aimed. (Niittymaki) made a lot of good saves."

The Senators dug themselves a two-goal hole after a pregame ceremony inducted Binghamton Whalers center Dallas Gaume, Binghamton Rangers center Don Biggs and BC Icemen player/coach Brad Jones into the city's Hall of Fame.

But before the Phantoms scored, two old scores were settled. Senators enforcer Brian McGrattan reprised a Dec. 19 fight with Josh Gratton 2:56 into the game and rookie Danny Bois avenged a concussion from that game by fighting Philadelphia's Riley Cote.

Once the fisticuffs dissipated, Sim gave the Phantoms a lead by taking a feed from rookie center R.J. Umberger, outmuscling defenseman Anton Volchenkov in front of the net and beating goalie Ray Emery at 7:58.

Another rookie, winger Tony Voce, made it 2-0 by deflecting Joni Pitkanen's point shot past Emery with 67 seconds remaining before intermission.

"That wasn't the best scenario, going down 2-0, but I didn't think we played too bad," Vermette said. "What I liked was we kept going. We played a simple type game and chipped away and came back."

Josh Langfeld began the comeback on the power play 5:38 into the second period. He went to the net and smacked the rebound of Vermette's shot behind Niittymaki for his fifth goal in seven games.

Niittymaki, who entered with the AHL's fourth-lowest goals-against average (1.95), surrendered the lead 57 seconds into the third period when Bochenski's hard shot from the slot caromed off the goalie's left shoulder and into the net before Vermette's seventh goal in five games gave the Senators their first lead.

"It was a four-point third period," co-coach John Paddock said, citing Norfolk's loss and the importance of getting two points. "That's huge. You can't control how other teams play, but to win when another team loses, that's a big, big third period."

SLAP SHOTS

Three former Binghamton coaches were here: Carolina Hurricanes scout Ron Smith (Rangers 1991-93), Philadelphia Flyers scout Al Hill (Rangers 93-95, Icemen 97-98) and Jones (Icemen 98-2002). ... Before the game, AHL president Dave Andrews presented crystal trophies to Bochenski for being the league's Rookie of the Month in February and Paddock for coaching in his 1,000th AHL game Feb. 11 in Bridgeport.