Binghamton Devils Come Up With A Great Effort Despite Loss In SO

The score read 4-1 Pens with less then a minute remaining in the second period and it looked to be one of those nights for the Devils with some fluky goals coming off of goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. But Nick Lappin scored his 29th on the power play with 28 seconds on the clock that gave the team a good feeling heading into the third.

A buddy of mine mentioned they were taking bets amongst friends on what the final outcome would turn out with the Pens on top, and I replied that we are coming back. And back, they did.

Photo provided by Alicia Strauch

Binghamton did not roll over and die with two third period goals that sent the game into OT, followed then by a shootout. It took eight rounds before Garrett Wilson scored the winner as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (38-19-6-2) beat the BDevils (22-33-7-4) 5-4 before a raucous, sellout crowd at The Floyd on Saturday.

Defenseman Jarred Tinordi opened up the scoring for the Pens just 74 seconds in with a floater from his blueline that sailed by Blackwood through traffic in front, but the Devils would tie it at 3:24. Forward John Quenneville skated around the perimeter in the offensive zone and found defenseman Jacob MacDonald in the circle, as he ripped a one-timer though the wickets of Penguins’ netminder Michael Leighton for his 17th of the season on the equalizer.

Photo provided by Alicia Strauch

Joseph Cramarossa and Garrett Wilson put the Penguins in front 4-1 in the middle frame before Lappin took a short pass from Bracken Kearns behind the cage as the puck snuck by Leighton that cut the margin to 4-2.

In the third, Devils’ forward Blake Speers scored at 2:22 from high in the slot area after a broken play for his 9th of the season after sitting the first 1:53 in the box from a hooking call at the end of the second. Binghamton would tie it midway through as Mario Lucia sniped a wrist shot from the circle that sent the home fans into a frenzy.

There was no scoring in the overtime session as this one would have to be settled by way of a shootout as it took eight rounds before the end result, but the Devils were right there with one of the best teams in the league on an entertaining night of hockey.

Line-Ups

Forwards; Kearns-Kennedy-Lappin, Quenneville-Seney-Speers, Lucia-Rooney-Latta, Thomson-Mandat-Bastian. Defensemen; Strait-MacDonald, White-Santini, Kapla-Walman. In Goal; Mackenzie Blackwood. Back up; Ken Appleby. Scratches; Brandon Gignac (inj.),Jagger Dirk, Austin Cangelosi, Brandon Baddock, Christoph Bertschy, Blake Pietila, John Edwardh,Josh Jacobs, Yaroslav Dyblenko and Eddie Lack. Rooney, Kearns and Latta with the A’s.

Random Post Game Notes

• Pens with the man advantage in the OT as Kearns was whistled for a tripping call at the end of the third. But the boys came through and killed it. However, the PP was awful going 1/8 that included a 4:00 minute call on Andrey Pedan late in the third as Tim Kennedy got clipped in the face by the stick of not Pedan, but teammate Kearns, as the officiating was poor and inconsistent.
• Ken Appleby was in back-up as he’s healthy and I would expect him to get the nod on Sunday against Utica at home.
• Blackwood was decent as he was screened on two goals and a tip of a stick near the crease. His work in the shootout was solid though, as he let in the game winner by Wilson and rookie sensation Daniel Sprong. JQ scored the lone goal for Binghamton.
• Shots ended up in favor of Binghamton 41-32 including 12-5 in the third.
• Just signed Brett Selen had a rough first period with two penalties and after some adjustments, looked pretty poised in only his second pro event. He won a few faceoffs and almost scored a goal late in the middle frame with his quickness to the puck.
• JQ didn’t miss a beat despite wearing a full face mask to help protect his broken nose suffered last Sunday in Charlotte. He took it off in the SO and it paid off with his crucial goal that extended it to Round 4.
• These two clubs are building a rivalry as Binghamton and WBS go way back as far as the two cities go, with a bunch of scrums after the whistle and heated jabs as the Pens’ coach also was engaged with the fans at the end by squirting water at them behind the bench.
• As far as the other two ATO’s no sign of John Edwardh, but Jagger Dirk did take warm-ups.
• Highly entertaining contest as this was the fifth sell-out of the season and another looks to be brewing on Sunday. What’s for certain is the fans have been showing up in droves all season long.

Three Stars

#1.) Garrett Wilson (1g), #2.) Blake Speers (1g, 1a), #3.) Andrey Pedan (1g, 1a)

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Devils in the middle of another three-in-three as they host the Utica Comets on Sunday afternoon.