Sens vs. Albany 1/16/04 Articles: B-Sens prevail in OT
January 17, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Press Connects.com

B-Sens prevail in OT

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- As the first half of a thus-far mediocre season was drawing to a close, center Serge Payer said the Binghamton Senators must find a way to win more often in the second half. Somehow, the Senators found a way Friday night.

They blew a two-goal second-period lead, had to kill a penalty in the last two minutes of regulation and still escaped with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Albany River Rats.

Andy Hedlund, the Senators' most-improved player in a first half that must be improved upon, one-timed a Julien Vauclair pass over goalie Ari Ahonen's stick with 3:44 left in overtime.

"It doesn't matter how you win, it matters if you win," said assistant coach Mike Busniuk, subbing again for John Paddock, who was tending to his ill father in Manitoba.

And believe this: It matters that the Senators closed the first half of their season by getting back to .500 (17-17-4-2) and moving into a tie for the final playoff spot in the AHL's East Division with the Norfolk Admirals, tonight's visitor to the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

It also matters that they won without all-star goalie Ray Emery, KO'd for at least this weekend by a right wrist injury that has bothered him since late December, and that Hedlund, whistled for a questionable tripping penalty with exactly two minutes left in regulation, played the hero's role.

"I definitely felt like I owed the team," said Hedlund, who blasted a shot from above the right circle on a rare overtime power play awarded to the Senators when the Rats were caught with too many men on the ice. "I didn't think I had an exceptional game, so I was happy to finally get it done."

Rookie goalie Billy Thompson, starting in Emery's place, said many of the same things after being burned 56 seconds into the game when his poke-check landed on Rats center Craig Darby's stick and in the into the game.

But center Brooks Laich bailed out his fellow rookie at 5:18 of the first period. Laich, who has two goals and three assists in eight games since a month-long bout with mononucleosis, reaped the benefits of winger Brad Tapper's hard work along the boards by redirecting Tapper's shot over goalie Ari Ahonen for the tying goal.

The Senators seized the lead less than two minutes later on their second shorthanded breakaway goal in as many games. Denis Hamel, fresh from playing just 1:50 for Ottawa on Thursday night, took an outlet pass from Serge Payer, laid a sweet fake on Ahonen, then slid the puck underneath him for a 2-1 lead at 7:07.

Arpad Mihaly padded that cushion at 8:55 of the second period by driving down the left wing and ripping the kind of shot over Ahonen's glove that most East Coast Hockey League call-ups don't have in their repertoire. It was Mihaly's second goal in 13 games since being signed to a 25-game tryout contract.

But Albany cut the lead back to a goal with 2:17 left in the period as Tuomas Pihlman's shot beat Thompson, whose net was effectively crashed by Rats defenseman Alex Brooks.

Ahonen, who returned to Albany this week after a two-week stint as Martin Brodeur's understudy with the New Jersey Devils, was making his first start since Dec. 28. He made several saves early in the third period to keep it a one-goal game, and the Senators killed a hooking minor on Payer midway through the frame.

But Rats center Adrian Foster knocked a loose puck out of mid-air and over Thompson with 4:28 left in regulation to tie the game and force overtime.

* Slap shots: Josh Langfeld is making the most of his latest call-up to Ottawa. The winger scored the second goal of his 20-game NHL career and his second in two games in Thursday night's 4-4 tie with the New York Islanders, and it came with his parents, Ron and Janice, in attendance. ... NHL supervisor of officials Charlie Banfield was at Friday nights' game. ... Darby's goal was the 498th point of his AHL career. Two more and he'll become the 68th member of the league's 500-point club. ... Former Buffalo Sabres goalie Tom Draper, brought out of retirement to back up Thompson, lives in the area and coaches the Binghamton Jr. 'C' Senators.