On the last night of a five-game road trip, the Binghamton Senators’ Denis Hamel and Brandon Bochenski led their team to a 2-1 victory over Norfolk, sending 6,178 Admirals fans home disappointed. The Saturday night win snapped the Sens’ six-game losing streak.
Norfolk started off the game with a first period power-play goal by Nathan Barrett, but the Senators responded with two power-play goals by Hamel and Bochenski at 8:36 and 17:32 into the second period, respectively. Binghamton goalie Billy Thompson preserved the victory, ending with 22 saves.
Binghamton’s win was a welcome reprieve from a string of six losses, especially after having lost to Norfolk 6-4 just 24 hours earlier. The Admirals started off Friday night’s game especially strong, with four goals in the first period, including a goal by Jason Morgan a mere 22 seconds into the game. Binghamton goalie Kelly Guard was resigned to the bench after a dismal first-period performance and replaced by Thompson, who received the loss.
Hamel scored three goals for the Senators, including a third period hat trick, while center Charlie Stephens chalked up a goal with 41 seconds left in the second period. But once again, Binghamton failed to take full advantage of power plays, turning only one of six chances into a goal. Norfolk capitalized on three of 10 power plays.
The Senators remain in 12th place in the Eastern Conference.
Binghamton returns home on Feb. 8 for a contest against the Portland Pirates. The Pirates defeated the Senators 3-2 in October.