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Binghamton
Rangers |
1990
- 1997 |
American
Hockey League (AHL) |
Broome
County Veterans Memorial Arena |
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Playoffs
Next On Team’s Agenda Following 5-2 Win Over Skipjacks
April
1, 1991
Paul
Stewart, Staff Writer
Press
& Sun Bulletin
The
game amounted to nothing more than a pre-playoff scrimmage at best. That’s what it resembled as well—a practice.
After
being embarrassed in Baltimore nine days ago, the Binghamton Rangers
had a bit more emotion in a meaningless game Sunday and defeated the
Skipjacks, 5-2, in the American Hockey League regular-season finale
for both teams. It was
also a warm-up for their upcoming playoff series.
The
Rangers, who lost 7-1 at Baltimore on March 24, finished in the
Southern Division with a 44-30-6 record—five more wins than there
predecessors, the Binghamton Whalers, had in their last two seasons
combined. The 1988-89
Whalers finished seventh with a record of 28-46-6.
The ’89-90 Whalers set an AHL futility record at 11-60-9.
Binghamton
is in its first season as an affiliate of the New York Rangers after
being associated with Hartford for the last 10.
Following
the game, the Rangers players and coaches received a standing
ovation from the crowd of 3,484 at the Broome County Veterans
Memorial Arena. It was the most emotional moment in an otherwise uneventful
day.
But
come this weekend, intensity will be a much different story, as the
Rangers and Skipjacks will begin their best-of-seven quarterfinal
series Friday and Saturday in Binghamton.
Ironically, their two National Hockey League parent
clubs—the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals—also will
meet in the Patrick Division semifinals.
Both
series are expected to be much tougher battles.
“You
can’t really get much out of a game like this,” Binghamton coach
John Paddock said, “I don’t think anyone really good stood out.
I think you’ll see Baltimore coming at us 10 times as hard
as on Friday night.”
After
the fourth game in five nights for both teams, Baltimore coach Rob
Laird wasn’t concerned about the lackluster performance.
“I
certainly think they showed more (emotion) than w did,” Laird
said. “They played like they wanted it more. To be honest, the game meant very little.
IT would have been nice to win, but we’re not going to sulk
over this one.”
Both
coaches took the opportunity to watch the game from the south press
box. Binghamton
assistants Don Nachbaur and All Hill worked behind the bench for the
Rangers. Baltimore
assistant Barry Trotz coached the Skipjacks.
After
a mostly uneventful first period the Rangers scored four unanswered
goals in the second, with line mates Ross Fitzpatrick and Len
Hachborn teaming for the first three.
The
Rangers went up 1-0 just 2:49 into the period, when Hachborn beat
Jim Hrivnak after Binghamton controlled the puck in the Skipjacks’
zone for nearly a minute.
Fitzpatrick
added a pair of goals with Hachborn assistants on both to make it
3-0 at the 15:25 mark.
“That’s
probably been our best line for the past five or six games,”
center Tim Armstrong said. “If
guys like Fitzpatrick and Hachborn are scoring for us going into the
playoffs, that helps a lot. When
you’ve got three lines that can score, that’s a plus.”
Binghamton’s
Daniel Lacroix, who returned from a six-game AHL suspension scored
shorthanded with 2:09 left in the period to make it 4-0.
Baltimore’s
John Purves broke up Sam St. Laurent’s shutout at 10:03 of the
third period. Just 33
seconds later a multiple-player altercation broke out, with
Baltimore’s Rob Murray getting the worst of the deal with majors
for cross-checking and fighting, a 10-minute misconduct and a game
misconduct.
Binghamton’s
Guy Larose and Baltimore’s Steve Maltais rounded out the scoring
with third-period goals.
There
was some satisfaction in the win for the Rangers.
“After
our last game there, we didn’t want to lose,” Armstrong said. “We wanted to show them a better effort.”
Both
teams will likely have altered lineups when the two open their
best-of-seven playoff series’ Friday. A number of players sat out Sunday’s game nursing injuries.
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