An Embarrassing Loss In Rochester

I’m currently in the middle of putting together the Binghamton Devils’ 1st Quarter Grades reports after taking such marks from The Panel this past week. After tallying them up, I have come to a conclusion that this team is just average. Average defense, average offense and average goaltending in what looks to be another average season of hockey once again in Binghamton.

Tonight’s embarrassing loss also showed me that perhaps this team is developing to be a below average club after a 10-3 thumping by the rival Rochester Americans. I mean. come on right? We just hammered them on home ice just last weekend by a score of 5-0.

This recap was suppose to celebrate the return of John Quenneville after missing the last ten games with a shoulder injury and the recent success of the BDevils. Surely, with his return this was going to be great news for everyone involved as the Amerks just lost their last two games.

Nope. didn’t happen, as the Amerks busted out with three goals in the first five minutes as the Devils’ players sat around looking sluggish for whatever reasons. Binghamton starter Mackenzie Blackwood was pulled after letting in three goals on seven shots to continue his inconsistent play so far this season. Ken Appleby was his replacement, and it wasn’t any prettier as he was tossed after a ten-minute misconduct was handed out to him when it was 8 or 9-3, whatever the score was at the moment. Back came in Blackwood and another Rochester goal soon after.

What happened to that 60 minutes of effort everyone was preaching for? It worked for the last three games, so why did it come to a halt tonight in Rochester? Have we played beyond the means of what we are capable of or did our opponents simply take us to lightly lately, especially the WBS game last Friday. Is this club an over-achieving bunch with brief moments of greatness?

Maybe I’m being a bit too harsh and should chalk it up as one of those games you’d like to forget, and move on. After all, this team has seven rookies in the line-up and yields one, if not thee youngest in the league as I haven’t bothered to look it up.

But 10-3? Really? Ugh.

There’s no sense of going over and glossing anything positive in this ugly, ugly beat-down in Rochester because there wasn’t any. There is very little talent on this team and I don’t hold the total blame on the coaching staff. It is what is and they can only do with what cards that are dealt.

It is early as I have mentioned numerous times before, but I hate losing like this.

So far, the 6-9-2-0 BDevils are sitting in the cellar of the North Division and are in 27th place in the 30 team AHL. Accept it and you’ll might feel better in lowering your expectations. I have tried but it hasn’t worked for me yet. I guess I’m doomed as a Binghamton hockey fan.

Line-Ups

Forwards; Blandisi-Kearns-Lappin, Pietila-Rooney-Bastian, Quenneville-Mandat-Gignac, Thomson-Cangelosi-Speers. Defensemen; Strait-Jacobs, Kapla-Loov, MacDonald-Dyblenko, White. In Goal; Mackenzie Blackwood Back up; Ken Appleby Scratches; Colton White, Tim Kennedy, (inj.) Brandon Baddock (inj.) and Ryan Kujawinski (inj.).

Post Game Notes

• None worth noting.

Three Stars

All Rochester believe it or not.

Video Highlights

Upcoming Games

The Devils will conclude their home-and-home series with Rochester on Saturday at The Floyd as I pray this will have a different outcome.