Binghamton Devils Open Up Season With 7-5 Win Past Toronto Marlies

Whew!

It’s finally back as the start of the second season of Binghamton Devils hockey resulted in a victory. Fans got their tickets scanned for the first time in nearly six long months and showed their support with Devils’ gear from jersey’s to hats to banners.

In what turned out to be a warm October night, the Binghamton Devils and the Toronto Marlies were involved in a wild one as a combined 12 goals were scored between the two clubs. Fortunately, the home team hung on for a 7-5 win over the defending Calder Cup Champions in the heart of downtown Binghamton on Saturday.

The outcome gave new head coach Mark Dennehy his first professional win in his first game at the AHL as he was rewarded the game puck by the players.

Photo provided by Alicia Strauch

For the BDevils, Brett Seney (2a), Blake Pietila (1g, 1a), Nick Lappin (1g, 1a), Nathan Bastian (2g) and Yegor Yakovlev (2a) all had a two point night that led the offensive attack. Toronto netminder and ex-BSens’ Jeff Glass was in goal and looked at times rusty for the first two periods, but settled down in the third as the Marlies mounted a comeback.

Binghamton was slightly overwhelmed in the opening 10 minutes as Toronto took a 1-0 lead and a commanding 7-1 shots. But rookie forward Marian Studenic would upstart the offense with his first professional goal on the powerplay at 10:39. Defenseman Yakovlev found a streaking Studenic in front of the net for the easy tap in past Glass that tied it up.

It was one of three cross ice passes that connected for tip-ins as the Marlies’ defense was no where to be found trying to defend odd man rushes.

Photo provided by Alicia Strauch

26 seconds later Toronto would regain the lead when forward Sam Gagner’s (2g, 1a) snipe from the circle rang past Devils’ goalie Cam Johnson top shelf and the goals kept coming soon after.

The BDevils ended the wild first period on goals by defenseman Colton White and Lappin and took a 3-2 lead into the locker room.

In the middle frame Gagner scored his second for a power play tally to tie it up once again with another wicked shot that sailed past Johnson’s glove high into the cage. Binghamton regained the lead the rest of the night by goals from Bastian and Blake Speers for a two goal lead after two periods.

Photo provided by Alicia Strauch

Bastian was credited with his second of the game that made it 6-3 at the start of the third period just 27 seconds in as Glass got caught on a fluke play. His clearing attempt from behind the net caught a skate and bounced in through the five hole with Glass flopping around.

Toronto mounted a comeback of their own by goals from Trevor Moore and Andreas Borgman that pulled them within a goal, but a empty netter off the stick of Pietila sealed the win as the Devils were all smiles after the final horn sounded in the stick salute at center ice.

Line-Ups

Forwards: Tangradi - Seney - Lappin, Studenic - McLeod - Anderson, Pietila - Sharagnovich - Speers, Bastian - Rooney - Gabriel.

Defensemen: Strait - Jacobs, Kapla - Ramage, Yakovlev - White.

In Goal: Cam Johnson, Colton Phinney

Scratches: Mackenzie Blackwood, Tariq Hammond, Colby Sissons, Ryan Schmelzer, Brandon Baddock, Brandon Gignac.

Post Game Notes

• Rooney, Strait with the A’s. No word on Captaincy but I have heard there will definitely be one this season. Even though Blackwood is up for NJ he was listed and announced in the line-up as a scratch.
• It was one of those type of nights with back and forth action and some uneasiness towards the end as Toronto cut the deficit to a single goal late in the third and on a power play with Lappin in the box for a delay of game call.
• Lappin and Seney were spot on as the two clicked along with Studenic. That is a trio to watch and enjoy as long as they are here.
• Shots ended up 38-34 Devils with a 14-9 advantage in the third. Unlike last season, the players didn’t look tired and continued to step up their tempo, which was encouraging to say the least.
• In the third, it was a certain rare of events that occurred concerning timeouts as head coach Sheldon Keefe called his for the Marlies first and Dennehy followed suit right after. Dennehy was seen barking orders to his players in the first 30 seconds and turned to chalkboard X’s and O’s in the second. I like this move as it gave the team a reset during the final minutes with the Devils up 6-5.
• Marlies signed Glass this past week backing up Kasimir Kaskisuo as he made his first appearance in Binghamton in nearly nine years. Glass, a third round pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2004, began his professional career playing for the Binghamton Senators back in late 2005 that lasted for four seasons. Although, he would most be remembered by BSens’ fans with his dreadful play in the final game in 2009 where he gave up five goals and the team missed the playoffs with a 6-1 loss against the lowly Norfolk Admirals. Substantially, he was then heckled off the ice and in retaliation threatened a fan with his stick as he exited near the locker room.
• Johnson played well as he faced 34 shots for his first professional win, but had to leave during a crucial stretch in the third as he became sick during a timeout. Phinney was his replacement as Johnson skated to the locker room, only to return soon after. Phinney wasn’t tested in his nearly four minutes in relief as the boys hunkered down defensively. Cam also assisted on Pietila’s empty-netter for his first pro point.
• Team played pretty solid despite the rustiness that Glass showed that kept them in action against a very sound Toronto club. However, their defense wasn’t there for the most part of the contest as the Devils’ offense looks to be very promising after one game.

Three Stars

#1.) Nathan Bastian (2g), #2.) Sam Gagner (2g, 1a), #3.) Marian Studenic (1g).

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Upcoming Games

Binghamton has a few days off before they are right back at it on Wednesday as the Devils play host to the Hartford Wolf Pack.