B-Sens stun Marlies in 8-4 comeback win

TORONTO, ONT.  – Trailing 4-1 in the third period, the Binghamton Senators scored seven goals for an 8-4 victory over the Toronto Marlies in front of 13,958 at Air Canada Centre on Saturday afternoon.

Kerby Rychel put the Marlies on the board in the first period during a five-on-three man advantage. Cal O’Reilly played a pass from the right side down to Rychel at the side of the crease and he jammed the puck under the pads of Chris Driedger for the 1-0 lead. The goal was Rychel’s 17th of the year with helpers from O’Reilly and Seth Griffith.

Toronto took a two-goal lead later in the opening frame. Driedger made the original save but the rebound went out to the slot where Travis Dermott fired in his fifth of the year on the secondary chance. Mike Sislo and Andreas Johnsson picked up the assists on Dermott’s goal at 12:30. Toronto held a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission and outshot the B-Sens 15-6.

Griffith converted in the second period to put the Marlies up 3-0. Jack Rodewald’s stick broke in the defensive zone and Griffith took advantage of that and fired the puck by Driedger from inside the left wing circle. The goal was Griffith’s fifth of the season from Brett Findlay and Andrew Nielsen at 9:07 of the middle frame.

Binghamton answered back after a faceoff win by Nick Paul. In the left wing circle, Paul pulled the puck back to defenseman Chris Carlisle who played a shot through traffic and beat goaltender Antoine Bibeau for his third of the year. Paul picked up the only assist on the goal at 10:01 of the second.  

Sislo took advantage of another power play to get Toronto’s three-goal lead back later in the period. Sisle teed up a one timer from the left wing circle and beat Driedger on his right side for the 4-1 lead with 3:13 left in the second. Griffith and O’Reilly had the assists and Binghamton trailed 4-1 after two periods. Toronto held the shot advantage 24-16.

Trailing 4-1, Binghamton erupted for seven goals in the third period for the comeback. While on a two-man advantage, Phil Varone found Jason Akeson in the slot who blasted a shot over the glove of Bibeau and just under the cross bar. The goal was Akeson’s 15th of the year just 2:40 into the final period with Varone and Francis Perron taking the assists.

Just 17 seconds later, defenseman Ben Harpur skated across the blue line and wristed the puck towards the net that caught a body in front of the crease and rolled by Bibeau and over the goal line to pull the B-Sens back to a 4-3 deficit. Harpur’s tally was his second of the year with assists from McCormick and Paul at 2:57.

The flood gates opened when Akeson went top shelf again for his 16th of the year and second of the game to tie the game 4-4. Akeson’s goal came at 12:15 of the final period, unassisted.

McCormick helped put the B-Sens out front for the first and final time of the night. After an interception, McCormick’s bid was stopped but Paul slammed in the rebound for his 11th of the year and a 5-4 lead at 13:50 with assists from McCormick and Mike Blunden.

Chad Nehring made it a two-goal lead just 11 seconds later as he scored his fourth of the season to give the B-Sens a 6-4 advantage. Brandon Gormley recorded the lone assist on the goal at 14:01.

The Senators tacked on two more goals late in the game for a seven-goal third period and 8-4 win. Jack Rodewald scored his 17th of the year at 16:07 and Nehring potted his second of the game and fifth of the year at 18:26.

Driedger stopped 23 of 27 in the victory while Bibeau took the loss, stopping 26 of 33.

Comets beat Senators 5-0

The Utica Comets battered the Binghamton Senators by a score of 5-0 on Sunday afternoon at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

Darren Archibald opened the scoring with his 19th of the year at 8:31 of the first period on the power play. Curtis Valk setup Archibald for a one-timer goal on a play that began with a pass from Borna Rendulic. With another power play later in the period, Rendulic extended the Comets lead. His 11th of the year was scored on a wrist shot from the slot. The goal was assisted by Archibald and Valk at 17:32 to give the Comets a 2-0 lead through the first frame.

8:55 into the second period, Mike Zalewski scored in front of the net for his third of the year. Marco Roy and Archibald assisted on the only goal in the period. Thatcher Demko continued his solid play by stopping all 14 shots through 40 minutes.

Evan McEneny extended the lead to a 4-0 score with a shot from the point that slowly crossed over the goal line after an initial save from Chris Driedger. His seventh of the year was assisted by Pascal Pelletier and Rendulic. Pelletier concluded the scoring at 6:19 of the third period with his eight of the year from Colby Robak and Michael Carcone.

Demko remained perfect and won his seventh straight game and collected his second shutout of the year with 21 saves to improve his record to 16-11-4. Driedger stopped 31 shots to fall to a record of 10-16-2

The Comets scored twice on six power plays while the team killed both penalties.

Senators name Kurt Kleinendorst coach of AHL affiliate

"The Neutral Zone" Staff Report

OTTAWA - The Ottawa Senators announced Wednesday that the club has named Kurt Kleinendorst head coach of their American Hockey League affiliate Binghamton Senators.

“Kurt has a proven record of being able to balance both development and winning at the AHL level,” said Binghamton Senators general manager Randy Lee. “During his time in the organization our prospects were taught what it takes to be a good professional and how to understand their role as part of a successful team concept. We’re very excited to have him back in the organization.”

“Coaching experience was key to what we wanted to add to the organization this summer and with hirings in Ottawa and now the addition of both Kurt and Steve, we have accomplished that,” said Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion. “Kurt’s coaching philosophy fits exactly with what we are hoping to have at the American League level and will be a great compliment to our new staff in Ottawa."

The contract is a two-year agreement and will run through the 2017-18 season.

Kleinendorst spent nine seasons with the New Jersey Devils organization, including three seasons as the head coach of the club's AHL affiliate, which was what was  then called the Lowell Devils.

Senators move Michael Kostka to Binghamton (AHL)

"The Neutral Zone" Roster Report

MICHAEL KOSTKA

HEIGHT: 6' 1"

WEIGHT: 210

SHOOTS: RIGHT

BORN: 28 NOV 1985  (AGE 30)

BIRTHPLACE: ETOBICOKE, ON, CANADA

The Ottawa Senators have reassigned defenseman Michael Kostka to their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators.

Last season, Kostka played for the New York Rangers, playing seven games and logging 108 minutes of ice time, one assist, no goals, and a +/- of 1. He also played 63 games with the Rangers' AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. He had 5 goals and 25 assists in those 63 games.

Kostka has alsop spent some playing time with the Toronto Maple Leafs (35 games in 2012-13), the Chicago Blackhawks (9 games in 2013-14), and the Tampa Bay the Lightning (19 games in 2013-14).

Kostka had been called up from Binghamton to Ottawa on November 21st.