Jakob Silfverberg has scored 13 goals so far this season and 6 in his last 6 games, quickly becoming the Binghamton Senators go-to guy offensively. The rookie (not to AHL standards) right winger for the B-Sens has scored all ready scored big goals for the B-Sens in every aspect of the game, 5 on 5, on the power play, when the team is down and needs a lift or just to give the team an insurance goal. But even in losses Jakob’s goals have meant something for this team and his last 6 goals in the last 6 games are probably the biggest he’s scored for the team so far this season. Let’s take a look.
His first goal in this stretch was on Dec 14, 2012 vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The game was played at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza and just two days after the B-Sens had lost to the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday night 4-3, which was their 2nd loss in a row, making this game even more important for the Baby Sens. Jakob’s power-play goal in the 2nd period was eventually the game winner and sparked the B-Sens power play which had been horrible up to this point. (NOTE-the Hugh Jessiman tally in the 1st was the B-Sens 1st of 2 PPG’s in the game) Jakob’s goal and this win was huge for the B-Sens as it kept the Penguins below them in the standings but also created momentum for the struggling power play.
However the next night in Binghamton at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena vs. the same Penguins, Jakob’s biggest goal in this stretch may have come in the 3rd period while the B-Sens were down 3-0 to the Baby Pens. It may have not been the game winner, but Jakob’s goal at the 3:52 mark of the 3rd period sparked a 4 goal outburst by the Binghamton Senators in a period of 14 minutes and 3 seconds of 3rd to win the game 4-3. As soon as Jakob’s goal was scored for the B-Sens, the energy in the Arena and for the B-Sens completely changed and was evident with how the team responded vs. a team struggling to win games this season.
Moving the scenery to the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester NY, the B-Sens were facing the Rochester Americans on Friday, December 21, 2012 almost a week after the big comeback win vs. the Penguins. The B-Sens were quickly down in this match-up and needed a big effort or comeback to either win the game or garner any points from their Western NY-State rival. Jakob’s 2nd period goal and his 10th of the season tied the game up at 3 goals a piece and actually sparked two more goals for the B-Sens putting them clearly in charge of the game at 5-3 with about 11 minutes left to go in the game. But as a very talented Rochester Americans team can do, they mount a come back of their own to tie the game and eventually the game goes to the shoot out. The first skater the Coach Richardson puts out on the ice for the shoot out of coarse is Jakob Silfverberg who scores to get the B-Sens to an early 1-0 lead in the dreaded (by this author) skills competition. This loss in Rochester was one that the B-Sens wished hadn’t happened but Jakob’s unassisted goal in the 2nd period once again sparked a team and provided energy for the rest of the game.
In this stretch of 6 goals in 6 games, Jakob’s 4th goal vs. the Rochester Americans on home ice the next night in Binghamton, NY probably lends to being the most un-important goal in this stretch. The goal was in the 3rd period with the B-Sens all ready leading 3-1 at this point but was the 2nd PPG of the game and provided enough insurance for the B-Sens to win for the 2nd straight night in row vs. their Western NY-state rivals. Yet Jakob’s influences on this team in this game wasn’t just held to his 3rd period goal but instead he was the primary assist on the Andre Benoit PPG in the 1st period the ended up being the game winner for a Binghamton Senators team that after this game was 12-3-0-1 in their last 16 games.
In yet what was Binghamton’s worst effort all season vs. the AHL’s most talented team from Syracuse NY on Wednesday, December 26, 2012, Jakob Silfverberg was able to find the back of the net for his 5th straight game. In this game Jakob probably was the standout player for the B-Sens with a goal and an assist and even earned the only B-Sens star handed out by the Binghamton media members that night. Jakob’s goal came in the 3rd period when the B-Sens were down 4-1 and made it 4-2 on the power play helping not only the B-Sens power play #’s but also sparking a little surge by the B-Sens as they were able to make the game close at 4-3. But just minutes later the Crunch put an empty net goal in to end the game at 5-3.
One of Jakob’s biggest goals of the 6 in the last 6 games clearly has to be the one he scored last night vs. the Albany Devils at the Times Union Center in Albany NY. The two teams were tied at 2 goals a piece with Cole Schneider scoring two for the B-Sens and former Binghamton Senators forward, Bobby Butler scoring two for Albany. To put this game in Binghamton’s favor and to score his 6th goal in 6 straight games, Jakob put away a Mike Hoffman rebound just under Albany’s Jeff Frazee. The B-Sens only had 3 shots on goal in the 3rd period but scored on 2 of them, the 1st to tie the game with Cole Schneider‘s 2nd of the game and then the last shot was Jakob’s rebound shot to put the B-Sens ahead to win it for the B-Sens.
Whether on his own accord or because of the play of his line-mates more recently being Mike Hoffman & Stephane DaCosta, Jakob Silfverberg has shown the B-Sens, the AHL and more importantly the Ottawa Senators that playing in Binghamton is working out for the North American rookie and that when the NHL returns they need to take a serious look at him to contribute up at Scotiabank Place for the Ottawa Senators.
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