Sens vs. Bruins 2/21/04 Articles: Missed chances derail P-Bruins
February 22, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Dan Hickling of The Providence Journal

The Providence Journal

Missed chances derail P-Bruins

Despite a 33-22 advantage in shots, Providence continues to struggle in the goal-scoring department.

BY DAN HICKLING

Special to the Journal

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- The goal-starved Providence Bruins hit plenty of skates, legs and glass last night in their game against the Binghamton Senators.

But not enough twine.

Although the P-Bruins outshot the Senators, 33-22, they were able to beat Binghamton goalie Ray Emery only once and lost, 2-1, before a sold-out Veterans Areana crowd of 4,717.

Andre Savage got the lone Providence goal at 3:30 of the final period. But with the P-Bruins scoring at less than 1 1/2 goals a game for the month of February, such comebacks just don't seem to be there for the taking.

"Just not enough goals," said Providence coach Scott Gordon. "I thought (goaltender Ray) Emery played a (heck) of a game for them. The open nets that we missed. It was just amazing." No less amazing was that Binghamton's Rob Ray, who is better known for his fighting that scoring, netted his first goal in three seasons.

Ray, who is on a brief conditioning stint with the Senators, was credited with what proved to be the winning goal at 16:16 of the second period.

"I'm just glad I didn't sign a contract yet with Ottawa," said Ray, who is coming out of a year-long retirement, "so I can call them and renegotiate."

Providence trailed, 1-0, after the first period, despite several solid scoring chances. The most notable came at 7:13, when, with Emery out of the play, Carl Corazzini found Ivan Huml in the slot. Huml let fly a one-timer, but it struck the leg of Ottawa defenseman Julien Vauclair.

Arpad Mihaly opened the scoring at 15:24 when he chopped at a losse puck near the right post and slipped it past P-Bruin goalie Hannu Toivonen.

Binghamton made it 2-0 on a power-play goal when , Ray redirected Andy Hedlund's shot from the left point.

Ray, a 14-year NHL -- almost all of it with Buffalo -- hadn't scored in any league since Dec. 19, 2001, and not in the AHL since the 1990 season.

He nearly got another, late in the period when he was sent on a breakaway. But he couldn't settle the puck and was caught from behind by Ed Campbell.

"I wasn't gassed on that," Ray said. "I couldn't get (the puck) to lay down."'

The P-Bruins outshot the Senators by 12-4 in the final period, but had only Savage's goal to show for it.

"Every team hits these stretches," said Gordon. "The biggest thing is that the quality of chances we're getting. Eventually, they're going to find their way to the back of the net."

ICE CHIPS: Boston prospect Peter Hamerlik was named goaltender of the week by the ECHL. Hamerlik, who is on assignment with the Reading Royals, went 4-0-0 with a 1.25 GAA and .963 saves percentage. Hamerlik, Boston's fifth round choice in the 2002 draft, was 6-2-1 with Reading, heading into last night's action.

Hamerlik had a strong showing in a three-game stay with the P-Bruins around Christmas.

In fact, it was coming to Providence that helped jump-start what had been a miserable beginning of the season for him in Augusta (ECHL).

Healthy scratches for the P-Bruins were defensemen Martin Wilde and Peter Metcalf, and winger Robert Liscak . . . Winger Brendan Walsh served the second of his three-game league suspension . . . Elsewhere, former Providence College (and P-Bruin) player Jay Leach was picked up by the Philadelphia Phantoms, after having had a two-game stint with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, earlier in the week . . . Binghamton, which came into the game with just 14 skaters, lost Alexandre Giroux in the first period to a game misconduct.