Senators Articles: 'Jules' has proven a gem down stretch for B-Sens
March 28, 2004

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

'Jules' has proven a gem down stretch for B-Sens

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- If the Binghamton Senators miss the Calder Cup playoffs, it won't be because of Julien Vauclair.

Vauclair, a 24-year-old defenseman, has been the Senators' best player down the stretch. In the past six games entering Saturday night's here against the Philadelphia Phantoms, Vauclair had five goals and five assists and was emerging as one of the AHL's top blueliners.

"Jules has been a sparkplug for us the last three weeks," defenseman Andy Hedlund said. "He's doing everything he can out there."

Vauclair's performance comes as no surprise during a season in which he was named an AHL all-star. He has consistently been the Senators' top defenseman, but it seems his game has reached another level as the games become more important.

In Friday night's 6-3 loss in Syracuse, he almost singlehandedly brought the Senators back from a 4-0 deficit by scoring goals in a 2:17 span of the second period. On both goals, Vauclair pinched in from the blue line and crashed the net.

"You've got to have instinct and desire to step into those areas," coach John Paddock said. "It's a big bonus to have offense from the back end. I'd like to see him do what he's doing and even be a little more efficient on the power play."

Paddock attributed Vauclair's hot streak to a slight decrease in his ice time. Since the Senators obtained 6-foot-6 defenseman John Jakopin on loan from the Hartford Wolf Pack three weeks ago, Vauclair hasn't had to log as many minutes killing penalties.

"He's a solid, steady player," Paddock said of Vauclair. "He's conscientious. He wants to improve or get better. Now it's just a matter of maintaining it and getting a little bit better."

A GOOD CAUSE

Five years ago, Senators center Serge Payer contracted Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disease in which the immune system attacks the nervous system. He has made a full recovery and as a pro hockey player devoted his time to raising money for research.

Payer was organizing a pancake breakfast with Senators director of community relations Georgia Vieira last month when he got called up to Ottawa, and Saturday night, the Senators' wives and girlfriends sold pucks autographed by each member of the team for $10 to raise money for the Serge Payer Foundation to benefit research and treatment of the disease.

"Brad Tapper's wife had done that in Chicago, and it seemed like a great idea to me," said Payer, whose girlfriend Lindsay participated in the charity event. "It's real easy to get all the guys to sign pucks. I'm glad we were able to put this all together."

FUTURE WATCH

Sophomore center Patrick Eaves, the Senators' first-round choice in the 2003 NHL draft, scored two goals Saturday for Boston College in a 5-2 victory over Niagara in the Northeast Regional of the NCAA Tournament in Manchester, N.H. Eaves has 17 goals and 21 assists in 32 games for the Eagles, who face Michigan today in the regional final.

In the East Regional, former Senators assistant coach Gene Reilly, now an assistant for Harvard, was on the bench Friday night when the Crimson blew a 4-1 lead in a 5-4 loss to top-seeded Maine.

SLAP SHOTS

Jakopin (groin) and winger Brian McGrattan (concussion) didn't play against the Phantoms. ... Paddock picked up a goal and two assists for Team Blue in the Celebrity Classic, a charity game played Saturday. Senators assistant coach Mike Busniuk, owners Tim Smith and Tom Mitchell, Phantoms coach John Stevens and assistant Kjell Samuelsson also played. Mitchell was the only "celebrity" who didn't wear a helmet. ... Former Senators enforcer Dennis Bonvie was called up Saturday by the Colorado Avalanche and didn't have any points or penalty minutes in a 2-0 loss at Detroit.