Sens vs. Bulldogs 10/23/04 Articles: Spezza's OT goal helps B-Sens avoid shootout
October 24, 2004

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

Spezza's OT goal helps B-Sens avoid shootout

Goalie Thompson stellar with 30 saves

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- Billy Thompson had already put in a full night's work.

Thompson, the backup goalie making his first start in the Binghamton Senators' fourth game of the season Saturday night, stopped every shot the Hamilton Bulldogs fired in the opening 52 minutes. He turned away a former AHL MVP on a breakaway, even blocked a wrist shot with his head.

And just when it appeared he would have to do even more -- like hold the fort in a five-minute overtime and a goalie's nightmare, a shootout -- Jason Spezza allowed him to finally rest.

Spezza, off to a slow start in his minor-league encore, deflected Anton Volchenkov's slap shot past equally brilliant goalie Yann Danis 32 seconds into overtime for his first goal and the Senators' third straight victory, 2-1, before 4,103 fans at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

"Once regulation ended, as a goalie, you start thinking about (a shootout)," Thompson said. "You figure if we don't score, you're going to have to face a shootout. So yeah, that's a good goal Spezz scored right there."

Thompson, a second-year pro, is once again the understudy for starter Ray Emery. But if he keeps playing like this, he'll force coach Dave Cameron to give him more than the 30 starts he made last season.

"That was a great game for Billy," Cameron said after Thompson made 30 saves and was beaten only by Tomas Plecanek's blast with 7:34 left in the third period. "A lot of his saves came at key points. He gave us all the things that teams rely on from their goaltender."

The Senators gave Thompson the one-goal cushion exactly four minutes into a wild second period after a scoreless -- and largely uneventful -- opening 20 minutes.

Bulldogs defenseman Philippe Plante planted Josh Langfeld, taking a boarding penalty at 3:06, and with Hamilton's Gavin Morgan already in the box, Spezza found Denis Hamel with a cross-ice feed for the tap-in at the right post.

Only by the grace of Danis did the score remain 1-0. Hamilton's rookie goalie got across the crease and dragged his right pad to rob Antoine Vermette, then recovered and stopped rookie Brandon Bochenski's rebound on another Senators' power play at 7:47.

Things got ugly midway through the period when Brian McGrattan went toe-to-toe with Hamilton heavyweight Raitis Ivanans in a fight that spilled over into the penalty box. Three off-ice officials restrained the enforcers, who were given additional 10-minute misconducts.

The Bulldogs had an apparent goal disallowed late in the period. A scramble in front resulted with the puck underneath Thompson and Thompson sprawled inside the net. But the red light was never lit, and referee Francois St. Laurent waved off the goal.

Thompson made his biggest save early in the third period when he turned back Jason Ward, who copped the Les Cunningham Trophy as AHL MVP two seasons ago but is back with the Bulldogs because of the NHL lockout.

"He got in just behind the defenseman, but he couldn't do too much," Thompson said. "I knew he'd either go short side or move across, and I just wanted to make sure I went with him."

The Bullodgs finally solved Thompson when, with Senators captain Chris Kelly in the penalty box, Plekanec rocketed a shot from the left circle over Thompson's left shoulder.

Spezza, who the coaching staff has talked to about not relying only on his skill, went to the net for the game-winner and earned praise from Cameron and co-coach John Paddock, who said it was Spezza's best game of the season "by a country mile."

"I thought Spezz had the most jump he's had in any game," Cameron said. "He was in on both goals, and that's his game. That's what we need him to do."

Slap shots: Volchenkov played after missing Friday night's game with the flu. ... The teams engaged in verbal jousting at center-ice during pregame warm-ups but cooler heads prevailed. Predictably, McGrattan and goalie Ray Emery were at the center of the discussion with Ivanans and agitator Morgan.