Penguins squander big lead
First Posted:
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – At the end of the second period in their matchup against the Binghamton Senators on Wednesday, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were well on their way to snapping a five-game winless streak and giving head coach John Hynes his franchise-best 116th victory.
After 40 minutes, the Penguins had built a 3-0 lead, controlled the play in the offensive zone and were outshooting Binghamton 33-14.
But all that changed in a hurry as the Penguins allowed Binghamton to score four unanswered third-period goals to fall 4-3.
The loss is the Penguins sixth in a row and drops their record to 13-11-1-1. They also lose another game to a division opponent and are now 1-3 this season against Binghamton, which they trail by four points for second place in the East.
After a loss like tonight it has to sting, said defenseman Joey Mormina. When you’re in a hole and struggling, things get magnified. It will sting.
While the third period wasn’t what the Penguins wanted, the first 40 minutes went particularly well.
Warren Peters got the Penguins on the board early when he put home a rebound from a Brian Gibbons shot less than six minutes into the game. Bobby Farnham made it 2-0 late in the period with a shot from the top of the faceoff circle. The goal, which was unassisted, was Farnham’s first of the season.
The Penguins had an opportunity to extend their lead when Binghamton’s Hugh Jessiman took exception to an Eric Tangradi hit and jumped him in front of the Penguins’ bench. Jessiman was given an instigator minor, fighting major, misconduct and a game misconduct.
The Penguins were handed a seven-minute power play that carried into the start of the second period, but were unable to get anything past Binghamton goaltender Robin Lehner.
Phil Samuelsson gave the Penguins a 3-0 lead with his first goal of the season in the second period.
Things were going our way, Farnham said. We did a lot of things the right way tonight.
And then it was Binghamton’s turn, beginning with a goal from Jakob Silvferberg at 3:52 of the third period to make it 3-1.
When they scored their first goal I think we might’ve started clutching our sticks a little tighter, Farnham said.
A minute later, Shane Prince scored on the power play to cut the Penguins lead to two. After a lengthy spell where the Penguins re-established their control of the offensive zone, Binghamton struck again with a J.G. Pageau redirect through the five-hole, and with less then three minutes to play the game-winner from Prince.
We played well for 40 minutes, set ourselves up and then we kind of shot ourselves in the foot, Mormina said. It was just four mistakes and four good players scored.
Hynes said there was no need for him to come down hard on his team after the game. There were more positives than negatives, he said, and the latter will be addressed over the next two days in practice.
There’s really no emotion to it. We have to build off the positives and learn from what happened in the third period, Hynes said. It’s not a time for emotion. We have to go back to work.
NOTES: The Penguins dressed 10 defensemen and eight forwards, with Alex Grant skating up. … C Jayson Megna (injury), RW Beau Bennett, RW Tom Kuhnhackl (injury), C Phil Dupuis, LW Steve MacIntyre, RW Keven Veilleux (injury) and D Simon Despres (injury) were scratched for the Penguins. Hynes said Bennett and Dupuis are day-to-day.
Binghamton 4, Penguins 3
Penguins210—3Binghamton004—4First Period: Scoring – 1. WBS, Warren Peters 4 (Gibbons, Thompson) 5:49. 2. WBS, Bobby Farnham 1 unassisted 18:08. Penalties – WBS, Thompson (roughing – double-minor) 5:49; BNG, Wideman (roughing) 5:49; BNG, Jessiman (instigating, fighting, misconduct, game misconduct) 19:38.
Second Period: Scoring – 3. WBS, Philip Samuelsson 1 (Gibbons, Smith) 5:48. Penalties – WBS, Thompson (tripping) 4:36; BNG, Gryba (hooking) 7:44; WBS, Bortuzzo (hooking) 15:34; BNG, Benoit (interference) 15:54. Third Period: Scoring – 4. BNG, Jakob Silfverberg 9 (Da Costa, Eckford) 3:52. 5. BNG, Shane Prince 3 (Wiercioch, Da Costa) power play 4:51. 6. BNG, Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1 (Wiercioch) 15:18. 7. Shane Prince 4 (Schneider) 17:15. Penalties – WBS, Strait (cross-checking) 4:31.
Shots on goal: Penguins – 14-19-6-39; Binghamton – 9-5-14-28
Power-play Opportunities: Penguins – 0 of 4; Binghamton – 1 of 3
Goaltenders: Penguins – Jeff Zatkoff 10-7-0 (24 saves-28 shots); Binghamton – Robin Lehner 9-4-1 (36-39)
Penguins – G Jeff Zatkoff, D Brian Strait, D Robert Bortuzzo, LW Bobby Farnham, C Dominik Uher, RW Zach Sill
Binghamton – G Robin Lehner, D Patrick Wiercioch, D Andre Benoit, LW Mike Hoffman, C Stephane Da Costa, RW Jakob Silfverberg
Three Stars
Referee – Chris Ciamaga. Linesmen – Jud Ritter, Bob Fyrer
Attendance – 2,789.
