Sens vs. Admirals 3/26/2005 Articles: Admirals’ net an easy target: 18 shots, 6 goals
March 28, 2005

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Tris Wykes of The Virginian Pilot

Admirals’ net an easy target: 18 shots, 6 goals

By TRIS WYKES, The Virginian-Pilot © March 27, 2005

NORFOLK — Assorted commercial and collegiate mascots played broomball on the Scope ice during the first intermission of Saturday’s Norfolk Admirals game. The likes of Ronald McDonald and Rip Tide peppered Admirals mascots Salty Dog and Hat Trick, who tended goal.

Sadly, for an announced crowd of 4,452, the furry pair displayed better defense than the team for which they cheer. The Admirals were routed 6-2 by the Binghamton Senators, who scored on four of their first seven shots but, incredibly, were outshot 40-18 in the game.

The Admirals, beginning a nine-game homestand, picked a bad night to blunder. Not only are they engaged in a heated East Division race with points at a premium, but Brian Sutter, coach of the parent Chicago Blackhawks, took in the debacle from the press box.

At least the fans got to see Norfolk star Rene Bourque score his franchise-record 31st goal of the season, on a power play. The red-hot rookie also got his team’s second tally, again on a man advantage.

The masses also enjoyed three fights in 13 seconds late in the first period, and early in the second, the amusing sight of six Admirals wedged in their penalty box after various fouls and fisticuffs.

“It’s fight night at Scope,’’ said Admirals radio color commentator Pat Shetler.

Said play-by-play man Pete Michaud: “If it was an actual fight, it would have already been called, because the Admirals have hit the canvas several times.’’

Norfolk’s defensive disaster had a familiar beginning when Binghamton scored on its first two shots, 34 seconds apart, against goaltender Adam Munro (11-9-1). The first goal came shorthanded, and the visitors led 2-0 in the fourth minute.

With Michael Leighton resting a groin injury, Munro was making his seventh consecutive start and his eighth in Norfolk’s last 10 games. But three times in that span Munro has been beaten by the first two shots, and on another occasion it was two goals on the opponents’ first three shots.

On other off-nights, Munro has usually rallied. But he surrendered Binghamton’s third and fourth goals in a nine-second window late in the first period, another franchise record, and Leighton started the middle stanza.

It didn’t help much, as the Senators scored on their first shot of the second period for a 5-0 lead. There were audible boos, and the only opportunity left for the Admirals was trying to set a good tempo for today’s 4p.m. rematch.

With Leighton nursing an injury especially troublesome to goaltenders and another Norfolk netminder, Craig Anderson, on the postseason roster but only three months removed from hip surgery, the Admirals face major questions about who will occupy their crease come playoff time.

Notes: The Virginian-Pilot’s three stars: Binghamton’s Jason Spezza (1), who had a goal and two assists; Senators goalie Ray Emery (2), who stopped 38 of 40 shots, (2) and Pat Kavanagh (3), who scored twice. ... Norfolk’s Richard Seeley sat out with a back injury, and teammate Michal Barinka took a hard hit in the first period and didn’t play the final 40 minutes. ... Former ECHL Admirals coach John Brophy attended the game. His white hair shows the remnants of a Mohawk cut he got while coaching Junior A hockey in Canada this season. ... Norfolk wore its white jerseys at home for the first time this season.