BELLEVILLE, ON – The Binghamton Devils built a 3-0 lead in the third period but couldn’t hold on in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Belleville Senators in front of 2,837 fans at Yardmen Arena on Wednesday night.
In just his fifth game of the season, Ryan Kujawinski put the Devils ahead 1-0 after a great effort by Kevin Rooney and Ben Thomson. Rooney and Thomson worked the puck down low and after a wrap-around attempt by Rooney was stopped, Kujawinski took the loose puck and beat goaltender Chris Driedger for the lead. The goal was Kujawinski’s first of the season and came with 5:14 left in the opening frame. Binghamton led Belleville 1-0 after 20 minutes and held a 14-9 shot advantage.
After a physical second period, Blake Speers tallied a power-play goal to put the Devils up 2-0 heading into the third. Speers beat Driedger for his third goal of the season with assists from Kujawinski and Tim Kennedy for the two-goal lead with 15 seconds left in the period. Through 40 minutes, the Devils led 2-0 and outshot the Senators, 21-18.
Kevin Rooney put the Devils up three goal early in the third period. From below the goal line, Rooney brought the puck out to the top of the crease and tapped a backhander by the left leg pad of Driedger for the 3-0 advantage on his fifth goal of the yearjust 37 seconds into the third.
Belleville started the comeback 4:58 into the third period as Jordan Murray fired a shot from the right point that Filip Chlapik deflected by goaltender Ken Appleby and into the net to pull the Senators back within three. The goal was Chlapik’s fifth of the year from Murray and Maxime Lajoie and the Devils’ lead was 3-1.
Gabriel Gagne scored his 10th goal of the year to get the Senators within one 9:42 into the final frame. Gagne intercepted the puck in his offensive zone left wing circle and snapped the puck by Appleby on his right side with the lone assist from Colin White.
Late in regulation and fresh back from Ottawa, defenseman Ben Harpur sent a shot through traffic that beat Appleby eover the shoulder and under the cross bar to tie the game with just 2:10 left in the game. The goal was Harpur’s second of the year with the only assist credited to Jim O’Brien.
After no scoring in overtime, Belleville’s White scored the lone shootout goal in the first round for the extra point and the 4-3 win. Appleby denied 32 of 35 in the loss while Driedger stopped 32 of 35 as well for the victory.
