Sens vs. Phantoms 3/30/05 Articles: Third-period takeover; Late surge sends B-Sens into first place
March 31, 2005

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

Third-period takeover

Late surge sends B-Sens into first place

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- The third period started amid nail-biting and teeth-clenching by a mid-week capacity crowd that understood the Binghamton Senators probably needed to win if they harbored any hope of wearing the AHL's East Division crown.

By the time it was over, the Senators had scored four goals to bust open a game that was tied, and that crowd sang along with Incubus' Nice To Know You as Philadelphia Phantoms all-star goalie Antero Niittymaki was pulled.

A once-tense third period became a regular party in the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, with the Senators routing the Phantoms, 7-4, and goalie Ray Emery fighting Philadelphia tough guy Josh Gratton as time expired before 4,710 fans and Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray.

"It was a huge win for us," said center Pat Kavanagh, who snapped a 3-3 tie and began all the third-period fun by sliding the puck through Niittymaki's legs at 3:29. "If they win, they go up three (points) with a game in hand, and we'd have to be relying on other teams to help us. It would've been a steep hill to climb if we didn't win."

Winning put the Senators into first place, one point ahead of the Phantoms, who've played one fewer game. A division title will give the Senators home-ice advantage through the first two rounds of the Calder Cup playoffs that begin in three weeks.

The Senators, who have nine games remaining, never trailed, although they did squander 1-0 and 3-1 leads. Except for the final 10 minutes of the second period, they played well, but in the third period, they were exceptional.

Kavanagh, Jason Spezza, Chris Neil and Josh Langfeld scored, and they chased Niittymaki at 9:32 after Neil's second goal of the game created a 6-3 lead.

"It was just one of those things," captain Chris Kelly said. "We kept getting chances, and it was fortunate that we capitalized on them."

The Senators grabbed the lead with 1:26 remaining in the first period on an Antoine Vermette redirection of Andy Hedlund's shot. Spezza recorded an assist for his 100th point, becoming the first AHL player to hit the century mark since Hartford's Derek Armstrong in 2000-01 and receiving a warm ovation.

"It was nice to get it out of the way," said Spezza, who finished with three points to raise his league-leading total to 102. "I didn't want that lingering too long."

The Phantoms tied it 1:31 into the second period, but the Senators built a 3-1 lead on Brandon Bochenski's power-play laser off Spezza's drop pass at 4:11 and Neil's flashy goal at 7:44. Neil slid the puck between Wade Skolney's legs and ripped it over Niittymaki's glove.

But earlier in the week, coach Dave Cameron said the Senators had to get better at holding leads, and they coughed up another one before the period ended. Patrick Sharp found a space between Emery's pads at 10:42, and Ben Eager tapped the rebound of R.J. Umberger's shot into the net after it slithered over the goalie's shoulder.

"You're up 3-1 in the second, and you think your chances are pretty good," Kavanagh said. "In the room (before the third period), we just said, 'Listen, we got a few bad bounces there. We'll get the next one and tighten up and win this game.'"

The Senators blitzed Niittymaki for three goals in the opening 9:32, then Langfeld scored on the only shot against relief goalie Neil Little.

Emery took exception to Gratton's spear as time expired and dropped the gloves with a player he fought during their junior careers in Ontario.

"It's probably gotten around that you can rattle me sometimes," Emery said. "I slashed him, he speared me. He likes to go and I like to go. We had the game won, so I figured, why not?"

And winning the game was paramount.

"We understood the importance of the game," co-coach John Paddock said, "and we played like it."

SLAP SHOTS

Murray was accompanied by Greg Carvel, the second assistant coach on Ottawa's staff with Paddock. ... With his assist on the Senators' last goal, winger Denis Hamel picked up his 300th AHL point. ... The newest member of the Pothier family is Lukas, a 7-pound baby boy born last Friday at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton. His father, Senators all-star defenseman Brian Pothier, reports that mother and son are doing well.