Sens vs. Rochester 1/28/04 Articles: Laich's goals help B-Sens win
January 29, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Press Connects.com

Laich's goals help B-Sens win

BY STAFF REPORTS

ROCHESTER -- Throughout their brief history, the Binghamton Senators have been successful by relying on all-star goalie Ray Emery and poised-beyond-their-years rookies.

That formula worked again Wednesday night.

Emery made 36 saves, 25 in the last two periods, and rookie center Brooks Laich tallied two more goals as the Senators completed a home-and-home sweep of the Rochester Americans with a 3-2 victory before 5,613 at Blue Cross Arena.

But the victory didn't come without a price. The Senators lost captain Chris Kelly in the first period to an apparent shoulder injury and top defenseman Julien Vauclair, who took a big hit from Amerks winger Karel Mosovsky late in the game. Kelly and Vauclair figure to be evaluated today before their status for this weekend's games against Albany and Wilkes-Barre is determined.

Laich, whose two goals lifted the Senators to a 3-1 victory over Rochester last Saturday night at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, deflected defenseman Peter Smrek's power-play point shot past goalie Ryan Miller for what turned out to be the game-winner at 11:11 of the third period.

Following in the footsteps of Jason Spezza and Antoine Vermette, the Senators' rookie catalysts from a season ago, Laich has 11 goals, six in the 13 games since he returned from a month-long bout with mononucleosis.

Laich's second marker gave the Senators a 3-1 cushion, but the Amerks got within one with 7:23 remaining with winger Alexandre Giroux serving a tripping penalty. David Cullen crept in from the blue line and scored his second power-play goal of the game off a Jason Dawe feed.

Emery earned his second straight victory over the Amerks and Miller, with whom he's regarded as the two best American Hockey League goalie prospects.

The Senators seized the lead 45 seconds into the second on a give-and-go from Christoph Schubert to Laich. But the Amerks, playing without injured leading scorer Jason Pominville, tied it on a power play at 10:55 on Cullen's shot from the left circle.

Rochester made a tie-breaking bid 44 seconds into the third period, but Chris Thorburn's blast hit the post. The Senators took advantage -- and the 2-1 lead -- six minutes later when Denis Hamel fed Josh Langfeld, making his AHL return after a productive nine-game call-up to Ottawa.

The Senators were without right wing Brad Tapper (sick) and center Serge Payer, who missed his third game after suffering a concussion in practice last Thursday.