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Sens vs. Falcons 2/22/04 Articles: Falcons Down Binghamton to Continue Streak
February 23, 2004 Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Falcons AHL.com FALCONS DOWN BINGHAMTON TO CONTINUE STREAK
February 22, 2004
Springfield, MA The Springfield Falcons extended their unbeaten streak to five games with a 5-3 win over the Binghamton Senators before 3,891 at the Springfield Civic Center on Sunday. Rookie forward Frantisek Lukes posted the first three-point night of his career with a goal and two assists. Jason Jaspers and Goran Bezina each tallied a goal and an assist for the Falcons. Goaltender David LeNeveu made 27 saves to collect his 12th win of the campaign.
After a scoreless first period, the clubs combined to score six goals in the second frame.
Falcons right wing Nick Lent opened scoring with his first goal with the team at the 3:16 mark. The referee huddled with the linesmen and the goal judge after the play to confirm that Lents shot from just outside the top of the crease had entered the net.
Springfield converted their first power play chance of the game 5:33 later when Bezina set up Jaspers for a tap in goal by dropping a pass to the right post while skating behind the net.
Lukes scored at 10:36 of the period to provide the Falcons with a 3-0 lead. The 21-year-old lifted backhand over the Senators Billy Thompson after a centering feed from the left boards by Mike Stutzel left him one-on-one with the netminder.
However, Binghamton reached the scoreboard just 53 seconds later when center Charlie Stephens blasted a shot past LeNeveu for his 12th goal of the season. Stephens one-timed a drop pass from left wing Mike Brown at the top of the right wing face-off circle into the bottom corner of the net for the tally.
Former Buffalo Sabres forward Rob Ray knocked in a loose puck in the Falcons crease to pull the Senators to within a goal with 5:19 remaining in the stanza.
Springfield defenseman Bryan Helmer sealed scoring in the frantic second period on a wrist shot from the right point through traffic 1:06 later. The goal, which made the score 4-2, came during the Falcons second power play of the game.
Brown again pulled Binghamton to within a goal with a tally from the right wing face-off circle with 8:52 remaining to play.
First-year center Kiel McLeod helped clinch the game for the Falcons with a backhand flip from below the goal line that set up Bezina in the slot for a goal. McLeod made the pass after out-muscling a Senators defender for the puck in the Binghamton zone.
The Falcons finished the game two-for-four with the man advantage. The Senators scored once on five power-play opportunities.
With the three-point effort, Lukes has figured in the scoring in four consecutive games, registering two goals and five assists over that span.
The Falcons five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2-0) is their longest of the season.
Springfield won both contests of their two-game season series with Binghamton.
Before the game, the Falcons announced that center Krystofer Kolanos had been recalled by the Phoenix Coyotes. Kolanos has registered 21 points (10g, 11a) in 32 games with the Falcons this season.
The Falcons will host the rival Hartford Wolf Pack at the Civic Center in their next game on Friday evening. Game time is 7:35 p.m. For information on tickets and group discounts, please contact the Falcons team office at (413) 739-3344.
Binghamton
...
0 - 2 1 -- 3
Springfield
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0 4 - 1 -- 5
First period: No scoring. Penalties: Brown, BNG (Fighting), :03; Gillies, SPR (Fighting), :03; Stutzel, SPR (Hooking), 7:39.
Second period: 1. SPR Lent 1 (Shuchuk, Jaspers) 3:16. 2. SPR Jaspers 8 (Lukes, Bezina) 8:49 (pp). 3. SPR Lukes 6 (C. Ferraro, Stutzel) 10:36. 4. BNG Stephens 12 (Brown, Hamel) 11:29. 5. BNG Ray 2 (Mihaly, Smrek) 14:41 (pp). 6. SPR Helmer 1 (Lukes) 15:47 (pp). Penalties: Wood, SPR (Holding), 4:08; Bancroft, BNG (Holding), 8:15; Tselios, SPR (Holding), 12:44; Watson, BNG (Hooking), 14:58; C. Ferraro, SPR (High sticking), 20:00.
Third period: 7. BNG Brown 7 (Hamel) 11:08. 8. SPR Bezina 6 (McLeod) 14:15. Penalties: Giroux, BNG (Tripping), 5:28; Hymovitz, BNG (Slashing), 6:57; Tselios, SPR (Holding the stick), 15:41.
Shots on goal: BNG 30, SPR 31; Power-play opportunities: BNG 1-for-5; SPR 2-for-4.
Goaltenders: BNG Thompson (58:43, 31 shots, 26 saves); SPR LeNeveu (60:00, 30 shots, 27 saves).
Referee: Dave Hansen. Linesmen: Brent Colby, Rich Patry.
Attendance: 3,891.
Three Stars of the Game:
1. Frantisek Lukes Springfield
2. Goran Bezina Springfield
3. Mike Brown Binghamton
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