BDevils Power Past BSens 5-1 For Fourth Straight Win

Confidence + Momentum = Four game win streak.

That’s what has taken place over the course of a week for the BDevils in their longest win streak of the season as the Binghamton Devils dominated the visiting Belleville Senators 5-1 on Friday at The Floyd.

Photo provided by Alicia Strauch

Another 60 minute effort combined with some sloppy, undisciplined play by the Senators led to nine power play opportunities with the Devils cashing in on three of them. Goalie Ken Appleby secured the win stopping 20 shots while Binghamton controlled the tempo with 53 shots of their own, a new record surpassing 38 also set against the BSens in early Feb.

Newly acquired forward’s Mario Lucia had two goals and Chistoph Bertschy had a goal and two helpers to help the cause as the Devils are just three points back of Belleville in the North Division with three games on hand.

For the second straight outing, Bertschy scored giving the Devils a early 1-0 lead on the power play at 5:22 in the first with a wrister from inside the blueline that sailed by Sens’ goaltender Chris Driedger through traffic. Then Lucia reached towards the back of the net on a backhanded shot from in front for a two goal cushion, also on the man advantage for his seventh of the season.

Photo provided by Alicia Strauch

Belleville cut the deficit to one as Daniel Ciampini made the most of a loose puck off from a faceoff and slid the biscuit by Appleby near the slot for his fourth goal of the season. However, the Devils would regain their two goal lead soon after.

Lucia with a shot from along the wall, somehow sneaks by Driedger as the puck trickles in off of his pads for a 3-1 game. Binghamton increased their lead to three for the third PP tally with Kearns on a easy tap in from the side of the net for his 12th of the season and team-leading 38th point.

At this point, the two teams played it out with the game already decided but not before Devils’ forward Kevin Rooney scored at the midway point of the third period potting his own rebound in past Driedger for a 5-1 final score. Shots ended up 53-21 BDevils in the lopsided defeat.

Line-Ups

Forwards; Kearns-Kennedy-Lappin, Lucia-Rooney-Bertschy, Latta-Speers-Bastian, Baddock-Mandat-Thomson. Defensemen; Strait-Jacobs, MacDonald-Santini, Kapla-Walman. In Goal; Ken Appleby Back up; Mackenzie Blackwood. Scratches; Brandon Gignac (inj.), Yaroslav Dyblenko, Kevin Morris, Ryan Penny, Austin Cangelosi and Colton White. MacDonald, Kearns and Latta with the A’s.

Random Post Game Notes

• Game started out chippy and finished that way with hot headed Tyler Randell and Patrick Sieloff gooning it up over Kevin Rooney in the third. Randell was playing the role of an agitator and Sieloff was more physical tonight than his 52 games combined for Binghamton last season.
• The new and improved Binghamton Devils are riding Appleby’s coat tails. Although, it hasn’t been a total goalie dominance but more of a team effort. Players are more focused and dialed in much to the relief of losing we have endured this season.
• During the streak, Appleby has posted 4-0-0-0, 0.73 GAA, 0.967 SV% and overall he has improved to 9-10-2-2, 2.80 GAA, 0.898 SV%. I say ride him again on Saturday against the Phantoms. At this point, we have nothing to lose.
• Devils finished 3/9 on the power play with several chances at 5 v 3, but weren’t able to bury the puck with poor possession, something that needs to be ironed out with the two man advantage in moving forward.
• This should be the set line-up as Speers moved from the top 6 to centering the third line. I’d much rather see him and Rooney switch positions, but hey, whatever works during this win streak.

Three Stars

#1.) Mario Lucia (2g), #2.) Christoph Bertschy (1g,2a), #3.) Bracken Kearns (1g,1a)

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BDevils return to home ice on Saturday to take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.