Sens vs. Admirals 4/3/04 Articles: B-Sens' offensive struggles continue in Norfolk
April 4, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Tris Wykes of Press Connects.com

B-Sens' offensive struggles continue in Norfolk

Binghamton outshot 36-23 in falling back to fifth place in East

BY TRIS WYKES

Correspondent

NORFOLK, Va. -- Binghamton Senators fans might not want to cut their fingernails this week. They're going to need something to chew on with four games remaining in the regular season.

After Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Norfolk Admirals here at Scope Arena, the Senators shifted position in the East Division once again. They now hold the fifth and final playoff berth, a point behind fourth-place Norfolk and four ahead of sixth-place Hershey. Binghamton is at first-place Philadelphia today.

Norfolk scored first for the 12th time in its last 17 games, this time three minutes into the second period. The Admirals tallied while enjoying a two-man advantage set up by a Christoph Schubert slashing penalty and a Peter Smrek roughing foul.

Jason Morgan began the play by pulling back a faceoff in the Binghamton end and the puck traveled left to right across the blue line from Carsen Germyn to Marty Wilford. The veteran defenseman scooted into the high slot and unleashed a slap shot past goaltender Billy Thompson, who was screened by Norfolk's Ajay Baines and Matt Ellison jousting with a defender in front.

The Admirals doubled their lead four minutes later after a cross-checking penalty to the Senators' Cory Pecker. Matt Ellison sent the puck from the left point into the slot, where Wilford whacked an airborne shot on Thompson. A scrum developed near the crease for the rebound, which Baines kicked into the right circle. Morgan's backhanded swat from there sailed over Thompson, who was again screened on the play.

At that point, Norfolk enjoyed an 11-0 shot advantage in the period and was up 20-6 in the game, eventually finishing with a 36-23 advantage. But Binghamton made the score 2-1 heading into the third period when it scored a power-play goal of its own two minutes before the second intermission.

Standing at his own blue line, Senators' defenseman Julian Vauclair zipped a pass up the middle of the ice to Denis Hamel, who took the feed at Norfolk's blue line. Hamel burst in 2-on-none with Charlie Stephens against Admirals goaltender Michael Leighton, finishing the play with a pass toward the left post which Stephens put in with a one-timer.