Staff WriterAs Binghamton University students start the second half of their 2002-2003 school year, the Senators delve into the second half of their corresponding season. The Sens had a fairly successful first half, but as they emphasize the importance of every game and every point in the standings, they will look to sustain their recent level of play.
Here's a look back at the first half of the Binghamton Senators inaugural season, and a look ahead at what to expect as the B-Sens make their playoff run:
RECAP
OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS:
HIGH:
Oct. 11, 2002 vs. Bridgeport (5-4 W) - Brian Pothier nets the game-winning goal 47 seconds into overtime to give the Sens their first victory in franchise history in front of a sold-out-crowd. Jason Spezza shows fans what all the hype is about as he tallies a goal and two assists during a four-goal second period.
LOW:
Oct. 12, 2002 vs. Hartford (5-3 L) - In head coach John Paddock's first game against his former team, his B-Sens suffered a tough loss as they carried a 3-3 game into the third before yielding two third period goals. Goaltender Ray Emery stopped 19 shots in the first period and 35 overall, but couldn't stop the Senators from suffering their first loss of the season.
OCT. RECORD: 4-2-0-0
OVERALL RECORD: 4-2-0-0
REPORT: The B-Sens started out the season on a high note with the emotional overtime victory, but dropped a tough game against a good-skating Hartford team. After disposing of arguably their three biggest rivals - Rochester, Syracuse, and Wilkes-Barre-Binghamton looked like they could be in for a very exciting season.
NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS:
HIGH:
Nov. 28, 2002 vs. Grand Rapids (2-1 W) - Jeff Ulmer tallied an overtime marker to give the Sens a dramatic Thanksgiving Day victory, which snapped the Griffins' 14-game unbeaten streak. Behind another strong outing by Ray Emery, Binghamton defeated quality hockey club to win the third of their last four games.
LOW:
Nov. 16, 2002 @ Rochester (6-4 L) - Rochester skated to an early 4-1 lead and led all the way as they handed the Senators their third straight loss. With the loss, Binghamton's slide continued as they won one out of the last nine games (1-5-2-1).
NOV. RECORD: 6-7-2-1
OVERALL RECORD: 10-9-2-1
REPORT: The Sens had some good outings in November as they took two points from top teams including Norfolk, Hamilton, Grand Rapids, and Albany. However, during what was their busiest month to date, Binghamton played some inconsistent hockey and dropped games to sub-par clubs. They began the month tied for second, but fell down to the bottom of the five-team division before climbing back into third place by November's end.
DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS:
HIGH:
Dec. 31, 2002 vs. St. John (3-2 W) - In front of a sellout crowd on New Year's Eve, the B-Sens turned away the Maple Leafs behind a two-goal performance by Spezza. Binghamton's victory to close out the year capped off a month in which they won eight out of 12 (8-2-2-0) and suffered losses only to Lowell and Hartford.
LOW:
Dec. 13, 2002 @ Hartford (3-1 L) - In his first return to Hartford since signing with the Ottawa organization, Coach Paddock again couldn't pick up a first win against his former team. The Wolf Pack were led by the NHL-bound Jamie Lundmark as he tallied a goal and an assist behind Jason LaBarbera's 17-save victory.
DEC. RECORD: 8-2-2-0
OVERALL RECORD: 18-11-4-1
REPORT: December was the beginning of bright times ahead for the Senators. After beginning the month with a two-game sweep of Saint John, the Sens picked up 18 out of 24 possible points for the entire month and closed the gap between Bridgeport and themselves for the Eastern division lead.
JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS:
HIGH:
Jan. 22, 2002 vs. Bridgeport (3-0 W) - After chasing the Sound Tigers for most of the season, the Senators overtook Bridgeport in the standings the same week they were scheduled to come to town. Rookie goaltender Ray Emery rose to the challenge and stopped all 33 shots, tallying his fourth shutout in his young career, the offense was provided by Joe Murphy and Toni Dahlman. The win was the fifth out of their last six and extended their unbeaten streak to six games.
LOW:
Jan. 10, 2002 vs. Hershey (3-0 L) - This loss was the second shutout defeat the Senators had suffered in as many games. Hershey's rookie goaltender, Peter Budaj, made 43 saves to hand Binghamton their third loss in the first four games of the new year.
JAN. RECORD (to date): 6-3-3-0
OVERALL RECORD (to date): 24-14-7-1
REPORT: A bad start to January could have been the setback to kill the momentum that the Sens had been building towards making a run at Bridgeport. Instead, Binghamton plugged the hole and answered a four-game winless streak with their current eight-game unbeaten streak. On Jan. 15, the Senators moved into a first-place tie with Bridgeport in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference and took over sole possession of the coveted spot three days later. They haven't looked back since and now hold a comfortable, yet not secure, lead over their pursuers.
REVIEW
FORWARDS - It's obvious to even the causal fan that the Senators are much more dangerous offensively when Spezza (17-19-36) is in Binghamton, not in Ottawa. But even when the opposition holds Spezza scoreless, the rest of the team usually puts enough goals up on the board to win games.
Joe Murphy (14-18-32) and David Hymovitz (12-13-25) are the veterans who set the example for young prospects like Alexandre Giroux (8-12-20) and Antoine Vermette (15-14-29). With a good supporting cast that includes frequent contributions from players like Jeff Ulmer and Chris Kelly, the Sens can't complain about their offense. Outside of Spezza, there are no league-leading scorers on the Binghamton roster. However, the Sens' recent run has proven that they're not just about superstar power-an ensemble of solid players will do. Murphy, Hymovitz and Ulmer bring consistent, gritty, emotional play to the ice. Giroux, Vermette and Kelly bring speed, heart, determination and feistiness to the team.
The power play has been almost non-existent for the B-Sens, but they've managed to win games without it. The man-advantage has improved since Coach Paddock has gone to a combination of Ulmer and Spezza at the point, but it is still a work in progress and especially needs to improve for the games against the teams that will shut them down at even strength.
Overall Evaluation: NOT BAD-It seems that when the "go-to guys" aren't scoring, someone steps up to keep Binghamton in every game. The veterans set the example and the youth has been following.
DEFENSEMEN - The acquisition of Steve Bancroft was an excellent move by the Senators' front office. With what captain Brian Pothier brings to the table and the jeopardy of losing that to Ottawa, Bancroft brings good depth to the blue line. Julien Vauclair has elevated his game since returning from injury earlier in the season and Christoph Schubert and Scott Ricci have both shown that they are getting better as the season goes on.
Dean Melanson was also a good addition to the Senators' defensive unit. Malanson combined with winger Dennis Bonvie on the roster will deter anyone from messing with a guy in a Sens jersey. They also add a much needed spark and fury to Paddock's group.
The penalty kill has been excellent in recent games and is one of the best in the league on the road. The Sens look confident in killing off two-man advantages, five-minute major penalties, and even double minors. With a young group that takes a lot of penalties-some out of frustration and some because they don't want to work for what they get-the team needs a good PK unit.
Overall Evaluation: GOOD - Binghamton has had many victories that were fueled by their defensive stability. A good defense leads to a good offense and they are just getting better as the season unfolds.
GOALTENDING - Not enough can be said about the goaltending effort thus far in the season. Rookie Ray Emery might have been the last person that people would have expected to see as the Sens number one goaltender, but not only did he convincingly win the job, he has shined en route to an All-Star selection. He had one of the lowest goals against average in the league and now leads the league in victories, with four shutouts already. When Emery is on, there is no one better.
Simon Lajeunesse provides a decent backup for Emery and has done fairly well in the few starts he's gotten to see. It's difficult for Lajeunesse to get comfortable in net when he is playing so rarely, but he has made good use of the work he's gotten.
Overall Evaluation: EXCELLENT - There have been games that Emery has simply stolen from the opposition. Emery has been spectacular at times, even rousing ovation from the men behind the bench on occasion. Emery keeps the Sens in games and gives his teammates the ability to make a few mistakes without letting it show on the scoreboard.
COACHING - In his first season with the Ottawa organization, head coach John Paddock has showed everyone why he is regarded as one of the best hockey minds to ever coach in the AHL. Paddock has taken his Binghamton team from a stage where people questioned each game-time effort to one where they expect to win every time they step on the ice. With NHL experience in the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes and Philadelphia Flyers organizations, Paddock brings a type of professionalism back to the Binghamton area that is unparalleled. He's got his team believing in him and believing in themselves. He has amazing focus and knows how to turn his thoughts into his team's actions. With a very young team and a parent-club that borrows B-Sens players on a regular basis, it can even be argued that coach Paddock's team is overachieving.
Assistant coach Gene Reilly has had success in the Ottawa organization in the past and is a great support system for Paddock and even for the players. Reilly was the assistant coach last season with Ottawa's former affiliate in Grand Rapids and he was part of a staff that led the team to the Western Division Championship.
Overall Evaluation: EXCELLENT - Paddock has done an amazing job in getting this team to where they are now. He's a perfect fit for the organization and he is the first one to focus on what needs to be done and not what has been done already.
OUTLOOK
It's too early to be thinking about a championship, but it isn't too early to stack the Binghamton team up against the rest of the league to see where they stand. With victories against many of the top teams and the depth they've showed lately, it's hard not to say they have the potential to play long into the playoffs. They've got many of the weapons: solid goaltending and defense, timely scoring, role players, veteran leadership and a great coach. With everyone in the locker room buying into the team-first aspect of the game, if the Sens play the way that they've shown they are able to play, look for an exciting April and May.
