Too many penalties, too many guys being undisciplined. That was Andrew Gordon’s reasoning for a crushing defeat, as the Eastern Conference basement dwelling Binghamton Senators downed the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3-2 before a sold-out crowd at PPL Center on Saturday night.
”We’re taking too many penalties. A 2-1 game isn’t the time to retaliate. It’s stupid. Guys need to look in the mirror, time is running out.”
Binghamton opened the scoring just 2:12 into the game. Guillaume Lepine took a pass from Brad Mills and floated a relatively soft shot from high in the slot. Phantoms Forward Taylor Leier screened Rob Zepp and Zepp never had a chance. “I never saw it”, Zepp said. “It was a perfect shot….I haven’t had a chance to look at the tape, but hats off to him.” The second assist on the play went to Colin Greening.
The Phantoms tied it with two seconds remaining in the period when Nick Cousins picked up a rebound from a Brandon Manning shot off the pads of Senators’ goalie Peter Mannino. The second assist on the play went to Jason Akeson. The goal came on the power play, as Binghamton’s Buddy Robinson picked up a game misconduct and boarding major 2:56 prior.
Penalties were the name of the game in the middle, as the biggest span of 5 on 5 hockey lasted just 3:28. Phantoms’ defenseman Steven Delisle picked up his second fighting major of the game a 11:44, scrapping with Senators’ winger Darren Kramer. Jay Rosehill also fought Lepine after that, as the old phrase “I went to a hockey game and a boxing match broke out” certainly appied. Referee Pierre Lambert was calling everything left and right in an attempt to control the game.
Binghamton netted the eventual game winner with 35 seconds left in the period, getting the puck down low, and curling it around an outstretched Zepp. In the third, the Phantoms came out hard, and crawled within one on the power play at 7:08. With Brad Mills in the penalty box for high-sticking, Brandon Manning blasted a vicious slap shot from the point past Mannino. Unfortunately, that was as close as the Phantoms would getting, losing a crucial two points, as 8th place Portland dropped a decision to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3-0.
Notes: Phantoms’ Coach Terry Murray on being unhappy with the play of his Team: “Too many guys who are supposed to be able to make some plays on breakouts turn the puck over,” Murray said. “You turn the puck over at any level, you’re going to end up paying the price for it, and we did. …This is the start of, including tonight, 29 games left in the season. It’s time to make some hay. So… disappointing.” After the game, there was some confusion as to the status of Rob Zepp, who was thought to be headed to join the parent Philadelphia Flyers, but Murray announced after the game that Zepp would start tomorrow night in Wilkes-Barre. It’s the middle stop of three games in three nights for Lehigh Valley, who finish the weekend on Sunday in Springfield against the Falcons. Three Stars: 3) LV-Nick Cousins: (Goal and an assist, one shot) 2) BNG-Matt Puempel (Goal and an assist, +1, 4 Shots) 1) BNG-Shane Prince (Game-winning goal) Attendance was 8,782, the 12th sellout of the season, and 15th crowd larger than 8,000.
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