Sens vs. Admirals 10/29/2004 Articles: B-Sens find a remedy for season's slow start
October 30, 2004

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

B-Sens find a remedy for season's slow start

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- After each of their opening five games, even their first three victories, the Binghamton Senators were fond of saying they had yet to play their best game.

They can't say that anymore.

In Friday night's 5-3 victory over the Norfolk Admirals, the Senators played every bit as well as all the preseason prognosticators knew they could when they were tabbed as the favorite to win the Calder Cup.

"From start to finish, I don't think it was even close that it was our best game," coach Dave Cameron said. "When they play like that, they're a fun team to watch. Certainly, after that game, they raised the bar for what's expected of them."

Reasons abound for why the Senators appeared sluggish in the first five games. Co-coach John Paddock had a simple explanation: The Senators' best players weren't their best players.

That wasn't the case against Norfolk. Top center Jason Spezza scored two goals and added two assists, captain Chris Kelly was a plus-5 and goalie Ray Emery made 33 saves.

And for a change, the Senators had a strong first period, outshooting Norfolk 21-6 and taking control of the game's tempo and pace.

"I think that could be chalked up to guilt in how bad we'd started the previous five games," Cameron said. "There's enough pride in the room that the guys realized how important it was to have a good start.

"I thought the whole team was very focused in practice all week. We saw it in spurts, but that was our best effort for a complete 60 minutes."

Said Kelly, "You could tell in warm-ups. We were really snapping the puck around the way we want to, and we hadn't really done that for the first five games."

PAINTING FOR CHARITY

For the second straight year, the Senators will trade their sticks for paintbrushes to benefit a charity.

The Senators will paint clay plates Monday that will be auctioned next month to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of central New York. The Clay Ground, a pottery studio in Vestal, is donating the plates, which will be displayed at home games beginning Nov. 13.

Bids will be accepted in a silent auction until the second intermission of the Nov. 27 game against Rochester.

SLAP SHOTS

Senators enforcer Brian McGrattan fought Jim Vandermeer in the third period. The two renewed their ongoing feud that began last Dec. 28 when Vandermeer was with the Philadelphia Phantoms. ... Rookie defenseman Neil Komadoski and winger Arpad Mihaly were healthy scratches. ... Former Ottawa Senators general manager Rick Dudley (now GM of the Florida Panthers) and former Binghamton and New York Rangers coach Ron Smith were in attendance. Smith is working for the Carolina Hurricanes. ... Longtime season-ticket holder Betty Waffle was honored before the game for winning the Jack Schott Award as the AHL's Booster Club Member of the Year for 2003-04