Sens vs. Sound Tigers 3/20/04 Articles: Power Play Goal Sparks Sens 3-1 Win Over Bridgeport
March 20, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Binghamton Senators.com

Power Play Goal Sparks Sens 3-1 Win Over Bridgeport

Serge Payer’s power play goal with 7:43 left in regulation propelled the Binghamton Senators to a 3-1 win over the first place Bridgeport Sound Tigers Saturday night in front of the 16th capacity crowd of the season, 4,717, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

The win was Binghamton’s third straight and ran the club’s unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1) and moved the Sens to within one point of the third place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Payer’s deciding goal was set up when Steve Webb was tagged with a five-minute major boarding when he knocked Brian McGrattan out of the game at 11:01 of the third period.

Tied at 1-1, Julien Vauclair started the rush at his own line and fed a pass to Brad Tapper. As Tapper gained speed through the neutral zone, he sent a pass over to Payer who moved in untouched through the left circle.

Payer snapped a quick shot from the faceoff dot over the glove hand of Dieter Kochan (23 saves) at 12:17 for his 13th goal of the year to give Binghamton the lead for good at 2-1.

After a scoreless opening period, the Sens scored the only goal of the middle frame when Vauclair banged in a rebound from the deep slot at 6:44 on feeds from Tapper and Charlie Stephens.

Bridgeport knotted the score as Blaine Down floated a shot through traffic from the high slot at 10:43 of the third period following a controversial icing call against the Sens left them defending a draw in their own zone.

But just eighteen seconds later, Webb major penalty put the Sound Tigers a man down to set the table for Payer’s marker.

Denis Hamel scored his team-leading 28th goal of the year, his seventh into an empty net, to ice the contest with 7.6 seconds left in the contest.

Hamel’s empty-netter countered a third period onslaught by the visitors who outshot Binghamton 21-6 in the final period, tying a franchise record for most shots allowed in a period.

Billy Thompson (35 saves) flashed the form that led the Sens to a 3-1-1 mark during the recent five-game suspension to Ray Emery in picking up his 12th win of the season.

The three-game home stand concludes Wednesday night at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena when the Senators host the Manitoba Moose in a 7:05 p.m. faceoff. Tickets are still available, including specially-priced Press & Sun Bulletin Score-4 Fun Packs, for the game and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Center Ice Team Shop at Metrocenter, the Arena box office, the Sens executive offices – 3rd floor of the Arena, or by call the Sens Hotline at 722-SENS (7367).