Sens vs. River Rats 3/19/04 Articles: Sens' duo providing dividends; Pecker, Jakopin key victory over Albany
March 20, 2004

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

Sens' duo providing dividends

Pecker, Jakopin key victory over Albany

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- School loans have to be paid off. Players loaned to the Binghamton Senators? They just yield a great payoff.

In their fourth game overall and first at home since being acquired on loan last week, shifty winger Cory Pecker scored two goals and hulking defenseman John Jakopin tallied the game-winner with 17 seconds left Friday in a 5-4 victory over the Albany River Rats.

"They fill in holes we were missing on this club," said center Serge Payer, who recovered from a dangerous hit from behind early in the third period to set up Jakopin's blast from above the right circle. "Pecker gives us more offense, and we get good defensive play from Jako. They're exactly what we needed."

So was this victory.

Locked in a four-way battle for three playoff spots with 10 games remaining, the Senators moved one point ahead of idle Hershey and into a tie with Norfolk for the fifth and final berth. They're also just three points behind third-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

"For me, this was a real highlight of my year," said Jakopin, loaned out last week by the defense-rich Hartford Wolf Pack because he wasn't receiving enough ice time. "It's very exciting for me to come in here and contribute like that, especially since we need to win these games."

With the teams playing four aside and seemingly headed for overtime, Jakopin, a 6-foot-6 bruiser with 15 goals in 245 AHL games, took a diagonal feed from Payer and ripped it through a screen to finally slay the pesky, last-place River Rats, who rallied from 1-0 and 4-3 deficits despite being 19 points out of a playoff spot and skating purely for pride.

The Senators have far more at stake, which is why they beefed up their offense by adding Pecker, a 20-goal scorer in Cincinnati last season whose ice time was going to higher profile prospects.

Pecker had three assists in his initial three games with the Senators, and Jakopin described the 21-year-old's offensive skills as "sick." His first goal, a rebound of his own shot on the power play 9:07 into the first period, opened a 1-0 lead.

"He's got really good offensive instincts," B-Sens coach John Paddock said.

But the Rats answered with two goals in 3:13, the second coming when goalie Ray Emery played a clearing attempt on to winger Steve Kariya's stick at 17:29.

It took one of the season's prettiest goals to pull the Senators even at 3:49 of the second period. Denis Hamel, who already has eclipsed his single-season career-high with 61 points, zoomed into the Rats' zone and backhanded a shot over goalie Ari Ahonen's shoulder.

Ilkka Pikkarainen restored the Rats' lead five minutes later, but Senators winger David Hymovitz parked on the doorstep and rifled the rebound of Julien Vauclair's shot past Ahonen to tie it at 3-3 entering the final period.

A flurry of Albany penalties, including a five-minute major on defenseman Phil Cole for recklessly checking Payer from behind, characterized the opening minutes of the third, and after failing to score on a 50-second two-man advantage, the Senators cashed in on the major when Pecker dumped a loose puck behind Ahonen at 6:00.

It took just 30 seconds, however, for Albany to score the equalizer shorthanded. Tuomas Pihlman ripped a shot that deflected off Emery's left skate and ricocheted into the net.

"We need every (win), period," Paddock said. "It sounds cliche-ish, but you never go into a game not thinking you're going to need it. The thing is, now there's less time to make it up if you don't win. There's less room for error now."

Although, taking out two loans seems to have made the margin slightly larger.

* Slap shots: Emery, who got in from Ottawa early Friday morning after backing up Patrick Lalime in Thursday night's 2-0 victory over Colorado, was recalled to Ottawa after the game. That means rookie Billy Thompson will start tonight against Bridgeport. ... Ottawa winger Antoine Vermette, who scored 34 goals here last season, was a healthy scratch Thursday night. ... In honor of the pre-game Binghamton Hockey Hall of Fame inductions, the Senators wore alternate red sweaters with the winged "B" logo on the chest rather than their regular logo. The jerseys were auctioned off after the game with proceeds going to the Day Nursery Association.