The Binghamton Senators started off the American Hockey League‘s 2013-14 in pretty dramatic fashion Saturday night versus their rivals from the north on I-81 winning the game 4-3 in overtime. Possibly the AHL’s newest and most heated rivalry right now, the Syracuse Crunch fans and players don’t seem to like the Binghamton Senators and according to B-Sens Head Coach, Luke Richardson, the feeling is mutual. “We don’t like them and we like losing to them even less” said the second year Head Coach during the team’s Media Day when asked about playing the Crunch on opening night and then two more times in the next 4 games.
The B-Sens received regulation goals from Derek Grant, of course a short-handed goal by Grant to start his season (5 shorties from Grant last season of the team’s league leading 19), goals from Corey Cowick and the game tie-ing goal by Mika Zibanejad who tied the game with 10:47 left to go in the 3rd period. The third and over-time period was primarily dominated by the B-Sens who out shot the Crunch 15 to 9 combined and with a good move by rookie defenseman, Cody Ceci. Ceci beat Crunch goal-tender Cedrick Desjardins for the game winner 2:13 into overtime leaving Desjardins motion-less trying to figure out how the puck made it past him.
The B-Sens can be very happy about the third period comeback and eventual win in overtime for more then just the victory over their rivals from the North, as the news coming out of the the post game scrum with Head Coach Luke Richardson about the potential injury of Mark Borowiecki, the team’s captain was better then most expected. Richardson said Borowiecki was kept out of the game as a precaution after a dangerous collision with the Crunch’s Philippe Paradis, that happened behind the play of the puck and left most thinking that Borowiecki had suffered a concussion but ended up being just a sore neck. Borowiecki and rookie defenseman Cody Ceci have been slated for the first defensive call-ups for the Ottawa Senators and with a scheduled day off on Sunday for the B-Sens, Monday will be a true indicator of Borowiecki’s status if he indeed practices with the team at the Broome County Veteran’s Memorial Arena.
Derek Grant‘s short-handed goal to start the scoring for the B-Sens in last night’s game really is a confirmation of his expertise now on the penalty kill. Grant scored 19 goals last season for the B-Sens with 5 of those goals on the penalty kill and the B-Sens boasted a top 5 PK most of the season as penalty killers Grant, Corey Cowick (3-SHG) & David Dziurzynski (2-SHG) all started to come into their own while the team was a man down. Grant lead the league last year with 5 shorties and laughed during post game last night as media members referenced that he was now on a 76 short-handed goal pace showing that 3rd year pro was in good spirits while wearing his new number 57 with the B-Sens, which is actually his number while playing in Ottawa.
The B-Sens are off until Friday night as they travel to the Scope in Norfolk to play the Norfolk Admirals in a two game set.
Other…
Mark Stone was taken for X-Rays on what Coach Richardson explains as an upper-body injury…Nathan Lawson stopped 32 of 35 saving all 9 shots that the Crunch sent his way in the 3rd period while the B-Sens were making their comeback…The Crunch’s Dana Tyrell scored the first 2 goals for Syracuse which probably comes as a surprise to some as the 4th year pro has not seen much playing time in the AHL over the last 2 seasons and only saw the back of the net 5 times for the Crunch in 2012-13…Cody Ceci was the only Senator to have a multi-point night as the young defenseman had an assist on the Corey Cowick goal to start the 3rd period come back to go a long with his game winner.
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