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Day After Game Report: One Goal, Plenty of Saves, A Promise to be Kept May 4, 2025 | ||
Posted by: Bob Howard Credit: Binghamton Hockey.net | ||
May 4, 2025 - by Bob Howard - BinghamtonHockey.net Before the beginning of the season, Head Coach Brant Sherwood told me one thing, they wanted to ‘Run It Back’. “Promise Coach?”, I replied back to him. “100%!” was the next thing he said. ‘Run It Back’ has become a common phrase of defending champions in sports and the Binghamton Black Bears clung on to that phrase all season long. I mean Coach’s team hasn’t given us a reason not to think they could ‘Run It Back’ right? They took their 39 wins from two seasons ago and improved it to 49 wins and they have been stellar in this years playoffs, other than 1 game in Port Huron where the offense just wasn’t happening. But through and through, the Black Bears have delivered on that promise whether the conversation I had with Coach or the teams ‘Run It Back’ hashtag, they are now on the eve of just doing that. Yes, this will be a long “EVE” as the fans of the Black Bears have to wait another 6 days before the Black Bears and the Carolina Thunderbirds meet at the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena again for a game 3 in front of the best fans in minor-pro hockey today. The fans in Binghamton have traveled to every away barn this season, a tradition that has been happening since season 1 of the Black Bears. That’s why the Black Bears will come through on the promise to ‘Run It Back’, because the fans deserve it as much as the players do. When Zac Sirota scored last night, you could hear on the feed the Black Bears fans cheering, both the Black Bears and the Thunderbirds feed picked it up. You have been heard. Why are the Black Bears fans the best in the Minor-Pro hockey? This is a city where the AHL once lived, records that have not and will likely not be broken, happened in Binghamton, NY. Fans of the Broome Dusters helped pave the way for Slap Shot, a movie that has touched every generation of fans and players since it came out. Hockey Town USA was a name given to Binghamton in the 70’s and still reigns true today. The AHL is now gone, where this has happened anywhere else, the city has given up on hockey. Manchester, NH is a prime example. Sure Worcester lost the AHL and they have the ECHL now, but they don’t get the same love for their team as the Black Bears fans do. The sell-outs, the high attendance compared to capacity, the Black Bears have not pushed fans away like junior hockey has in some cities like Elmira or the ECHL has in former AHL cities. No, the AHL left due to Western Expansion and MUCH HIGHER costs and the fans of Binghamton stood up and took the Black Bears under their wing. Off on a tangent, I know. Point being is. The Black Bears, from Owner, Head Coach and the players are in the best relationship they have ever been in and it’s obvious. The Black Bears players in Winston-Salem saluted the fans who traveled there in support of the team they love. No other team in the Fed has that relationship with the fans like Binghamton does. Head Coach Brant Sherwood knows that there is a special relationship with the fans here in Binghamton. So do the players, who constantly go out after a game and sign autographs and take pictures. This is a time in their lives where they don’t feel like Single-A hockey players, they feel like professional hockey players, same as AHL players or NHL players. They are living a dream that most players in this league will not unless they come to a city and team like Binghamton, where the 3,000 fans turned into 4,300 fans per game in just 4 short seasons. When Game 3 happens in 6 days, the old barn will be sold out. Last years Game 3 attendance was 5,011 fans. Never in Binghamton’s hockey history has that been done before. Last night the Black Bears had two heroes. Zac Sirota never gave up on the play and after Swain took the shot and the puck landed right in front of Boris Babik and Sirota, Zac just lifted that puck in and even though he didn’t know it then, he became a hero to many in the Black Bears fans eyes. Coach Sherwood had this to say about that goal and that it could have been anyone: “There’s moments that anyone on our team can seize. We have third liners that would be first liners on any other team in the league. So proud of Sirota cashing in on that game winning goal. Proud of his efforts all season and a well deserved moment for the ‘Rat’.” In my ideal Black Bears line-up, Zac Sirota would be the 10th forward every game for the Black Bears. He embodies what it means to be the 10th forward, grit, a pain in the ass to the opposing team and still the right amount of skill to bang one home on a night where the net-minders were more than outstanding. Sirota’s goal was controversial though in the eyes of the Thunderbirds fans and you can understand why when looking at the feed. It appears that Swain could have been offside, as Gavin Yates was in control of the puck. The feed is inconclusive and with the FED not having specific camera’s there, it will remain a good goal because Linesman Bryan Thurnauer was sure it was onside. Thunderbirds players and Coach Harry questioned it, but they don’t review that in the FED, so fans will always bring it up. Either way, no matter what, you play to the whistle blows and that’s what the Black Bears did, Swain, Yates and Sirota showed that no matter who is on the ice, they will play hard til the end and the results will come from it. Lastly, what a playoffs for Connor McAnanama. The second hero in this game with his42 saves and his 4th shutout. He is 6-1 this season with a 0.72 goals against and a .974 save percentage. WHAT? In this league he has those numbers? Overall in 2 seasons, he is 13-1, a 1.63 goals against average and a .947 save percentage, amazing #’s. We have never seen anything like those #’s. Then you add in 4 shutouts in these playoffs this season. I think he can play in the ECHL and after winning another Cup, he needs to get an agent and get shopped around to an ECHL team, he is good enough. Tip of the cap to Boris Babik too, he was outstanding last night, coming in after the game 1 loss where he was watching the game as the back-up to arguably the second best net-minder in the league, Mario Cavaliere, is impressive. Friday, the game will be sold out. The players will feed off the fans, but the Thunderbirds are going to want to take that game and will play one shift at a time. Can they crack C-Mac? I think your going to see more running into Connor like the Thunderbirds did last night in the first period but then backed away from it. I think front net presence is the only thing they are going to be able to do and even then, to crack C-Mac, might take a miracle.
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