Sen vs. Admirals 4/14/04 Articles: Admirals Win 3-0 over Binghamton, lead best-of-three Q.S. one game to none
April 15, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Norfolk Admirals.com

Admirals Win 3-0 over Binghamton, lead best-of-three qualifying series one game to none

Norfolk took a one game to none lead in its best-of-three qualifying series against the Binghamton Senators behind a 31-save performance by Michael Leighton and a two-goal night by Quintin Laing, as the Blue and Gold blanked the B-Sens 3-0. Laing's first tally arrived at 18:47 of the first period. As Johnathan Aitken's blast toward the goal rebounded back in to play, Laing tapped the puck out of midair and past netminder Ray Emery for a 1-0 Norfolk lead. The one-goal margin held up through the remainder of the frame, and most of the second, until at 16:41, Brandin Cote gave the Blue and Gold a two-goal edge with just one of three Admirals' shots in the period. In the third, the B-Sens certainly had their chances, including a 5-on-3 manpower advantage for a minute and 15 seconds. But Binghamton could not convert on the power play and continuted to trail 2-0 late in the match. When Emery was coming off with time winding down, Norfolk sent the rubber toward the Senators' net, and Emery backed up onto the ice to protect his cage.

Unfortunately, the attacker his squad was adding in his absence had entered play, and the B-Sens were whistled for too many men on the ice. With the late power play, Laing added another goal to his total for the night, the third for the Blue and Gold that evening. Emery finished his night's work with 32 stops. Leighton turned aside all 31 shots he faced.

Stars:

1 - Leighton

2 - Laing

3 - Cote

GAME NOTES:

- This was the third time in 2003-04 that the Admirals blanked Binghamton.

They did so twice in the regular season.

- The Admirals have scored three or more goals in 8 of the 9 games they've played against the B-Sens this season.

- This was Leighton's second consecutive shutout of the B-Sens. He downed them by a 3-0 count on Friday, April 9 and had 44 saves in that game.

- This was the second playoff shutout in Admirals franchise history. The first was posted just last year in their conference semifinal series against Houston

- Winner of this series advances to the East Division Semifinals against #1 Philadelphia. All series aside from the qualifying series are best-of-sevens. Philadelphia won the East Division this year.

- The East Division Semifinal between #2 Bridgeport and #3 Wilkes-Barre begins on Thursday, April 15 (today)... For the whole AHL playoff schedule, visit caldercup.com