B-Sens start the year off right with a come-from-behind shootout win over Binghamton

Belleville and Binghamton line up for the opening faceoff in the third period of Wednesday night’s game. Photo by Dan Taylor, QNet News

By Daniel Taylor

BELLEVILLE – The Belleville Senators opened 2018 with a resilient come-from-behind win at home against the Binghamton Devils on Wednesday night.

Both teams came out flying early, but Binghamton was able to take over the momentum after killing off an early B-Sens power play at 2:57 of the first. After numerous scoring chances the Devils eventually found the back of the net on a goal by Ben Thomson at 10:42 into the opening frame. Thomson corralled the puck off a clean offensive draw win by the Devils and wristed a shot far side on B-Sens goaltender Marcus Hogberg.

The B-Sens then ran into penalty trouble later in the period after defenceman Christian Jaros took two penalties, one for tripping at 12:15 and another for boarding at 15:39. Hogberg stood tall during the two Devils’ power plays, turning away many high-scoring chances as the crowed applauded in appreciation. The B-Sens were outshot 14-7 through 20 minutes.

In the second, the fast pace continued. The B-Sens sustained some offensive pressure early, getting pucks behind the Devils’ defencemen and cycling the puck down low. The B-Sens were eventually rewarded when forward Nick Paul scored on a rebound at 4:29 of the frame, beating goaltender Eddie Lack to tie the game at 1-1. The goal was Paul’s second of the year and his first in a B-Sens uniform since returning from a stint with the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 31.

The Devils then responded with physicality and were beating the B-Sens to the puck all over the ice. Hogberg made some stellar saves to bail out his team but was eventually beaten on a redirected point shot by defenceman Brian Strait at 15:31 of the second. Hogberg was screened on the goal and had little chance to make the save. The goal was Strait’s second of the year.

The Devils took the 2-1 lead into the third and had outshot the B-Sens 27-20 through 40 minutes.

In the third period the B-Sens came out with urgency, but were once again put on their heels when forward Chris DiDomenico took a tripping penalty 4:48 into the third. The B-Sens killed off the Devils’ third penalty of the night and regained momentum. The B-Sens forwards pressed hard for the equalizer and were eventually rewarded when Max Reinheart converted on a nifty cross-crease pass from Francis Perron to beat Lack high-glove side at 11:40 of the third.

The rest of the period would remain scoreless and the two teams subsequently went to overtime. At the end of three the B-Sens had narrowed the shot differential to 37-34.

The three-on-three overtime was exciting, with lots of puck movement and fast skating, but both teams played each other tight defensively. As a result of tight defensive play, overtime solved nothing and the game went to a shootout.

Slick puck-handler Gabriel Gagné scored the only goal in the shootout on an accurate wrist-shot blocker side. The lone goal propelled Belleville to its 14th win of the season and first win of 2018.

Belleville was 3-7 in the last 10 games heading into last night’s game and had been quite inconsistent, to say the least. In Wednesday night’s game the B-Sens never led once throughout regulation time, but kept battling and came out on top in a resilient win. Head coach Kurt Kleienendorst says he liked the fact that his team never gave up.

“I still think our best hockey is ahead of us, but I thought it was a character win,” said Kleinendorst. “We battled, if we did nothing else. We battled and we found a way to win a hockey game, and that’s what matters.”

Belleville has had difficulty killing penalties all season and is ranked as the third-least-effective team in the area at a dreadful 77.7 per cent. In Wednesday night’s game, the B-Sens were great on the penalty kill, going three for three on the night. Kleinendorst said he was pleased with how his team shut down the Devils’ power plays.

“I thought it was the best we killed this year. Honestly, I think we dialed it up because I just think players are too good in our league today to be passive, and I think tonight was a night where we could see our intensity was picked up but our structure stayed the same.”

Goaltender Hogberg was awarded the second star of night but could have easily been the first. In only his second start of the year, Hogberg was sharp and read the puck extremely well, making 32 saves on 34 shots. Forward Nick Paul said his goaltender was the real difference-maker in the win.

“He was great. One of the goals there he couldn’t see. So we got to help him out there, blocking shots, but he was on tonight. He was good in the shootout and good all around, so solid goalie and solid performance for him tonight.”

Kleinendorst says Hogberg’s great play has awarded him a start in Belleville’s next game when they head to Binghamton for a rematch on Friday at 7:05 p.m.