Binghamton defenseman Colton White scored his first AHL goal on his way for two on the night, and forward John Quenneville also had a pair of goals and an assist while Tim Kennedy added three assists to lead the Devils past the Charlotte Checkers 6-2 on Wednesday in front of a large, festive crowd at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena.
Netminder Ken Appleby (5-6-2-1, 2.94 GAA, 0.896 SV%) stopped 20 Checkers shots for his fifth win as the BDevils (10-15-4-1) played a high-tempo style of game mixed in with a full 60 minute effort over an offensively powered Checkers’ (20-11-0-1) club.
The BDevils set the tone and struck twice in the opening period as defenseman Jacob MacDonald scored his 11th of the season on a wrist shot from inside the blueline for a power play tally past Checkers’ goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic at the 9:47 mark. White would then score on a nice feed along the wall from Kennedy as he deked out Nedeljkovic with a high backhander just outside the crease.
Valentin Zykov would cut the deficit by one with his league-leading 19th but the BDevils would react soon after as Brandon Baddock with a snipe from inside the circle that sailed by Nedeljkovic far side on a tough angle for a 3-1 lead. Quenneville provided some additional cushion with a sweet saucer pass from Michael Latta over defender Roland McKeown that found JQ one-on-one with the opposing goalie for his seventh of the season as the second period closed out with the home team up by three.
in the final 20 minutes, White sent a message that this was not going to go down the tubes as it took him just 1:29 to give Binghamton a 5-1 advantage with his second of the evening from a shot within the circle that landed again, far side of the net, as Devils’ forward Bracken Kearns provided a partial screen.
The two teams would later exchange goals, one by Quenneville and the other from Roland McKeown, but the BDevils would hang on despite a six-on-three man-advantage for Charlotte late in the period for their 10th win of the season.
Line-Ups
Forwards; Quenneville-Kennedy-Latta, Pietila-Rooney-Bastian, Thomson-Kearns-Speers, Baddock-Mandat. Defensemen; Strait-Jacobs, White-MacDonald, Kapla-Dyblenko. In Goal; Ken Appleby. Back up; Mackenzie Blackwood. Scratches; Austin Cangelosi (inj.), Brandon Gignac (inj.), Nick Lappin (inj.), Viktor Loov (inj.) and Kevin Morris (healthy). Rooney, Strait and Kearns with the A’s.
Random Post Game Notes
- It was a defensive, shut down style of hockey that gave the BDevils any chances of being successful and they pulled it off, especially within the crease as the team showed a much better effort moving the opposition away from the net.
- Latta with that heads-up pass to JQ late in the middle frame was pure talent from the experienced forward, as Quenneville made it look easy with a simple deke that shook up Nedeljkovic and the celebration afterwards was electric.
- MacDonald continues to roll offensively with a goal and an assist to pad his team-leading point total to 26.
- That up ice lead pass from Kennedy deep in the defensive zone found Latta’s stick center ice, as he charged into the offensive zone with JQ at center and one man back. Such a great read by Latta, who has been tremendous so far for Binghamton.
- Charlotte entered the contest with 121 GF, second behind Manitoba’s 123.
- Coach Kowalsky had an earlier interview set-up by radio man Rob Lippolis that was later broadcasted during the first intermission of tonight’s game that addressed the ongoing issue of who is Captain, or lack of. Kowalsky mentioned Kearns, Brian Strait and Kevin Rooney as possible candidates and to be named soon with how the season has played in finding that right identity.
Three Stars
#1.) Colton White (2g), #2.) Tim Kennedy (3a), #3.) John Quenneville (2g, 1a)
Video Highlights
Upcoming Games
Binghamton will be on the road Saturday in Bridgeport to take on the Sound Tigers with a return trip back home for the traditional New Year’s Eve event on Sunday with the Syracuse Crunch.