ROCHESTER, NY – Despite outshooting Rochester, 32-29, the Binghamton Devils fell on the road Friday night inside Blue Cross Arena, 10-3.
The Americans scored three goals in the first 5:18 of the game to force goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood out of the net and Ken Appleby came in to replace him. Alexander Nylander scored his first of the year just 52 seconds into the game for a 1-0 lead.
Evan Rodrigues made it a 2-0 lead for Rochester with his first of the year with the lone assist from Sahir Gill. Rodrigues’ shot beat Blackwood over the left shoulder just under the cross bar at 4:34 for the two-goal advantage. Sean Malone gave the Americans a 3-0 lead shortly after with his second goal of the year from Eric Cornel and Steve Moses. Following the goal, Binghamton replced Blackwood in net with Appleby.
Binghamton responded on the power play to pull back within two goals at 7:51 of the first period. Defenseman Viktor Loov took a pass in the left wing circle and blasted a shot over the left shoulder of goaltender Linus Ullmark for his third of the year. Loov’s power-play tally was assisted by Jacob MacDonald and Bracken Kearns.
Moses converted for his fourth goal of the year 11:28 into the first period to put the Americans back up by three goals with assists from Rodrigues and Conor Allen. Shortly after, Hudson Hasching put Rochester up by four goals with his fifth of the year. Just second into a power play, Fasching beat Appleby for a 5-1 lead with assists credited to Gill and Nylander.
Bracken Kearns cashed in on a late power play for Binghamton to get the Devils within three goals again. From the left wing circle, Loov fired the puck to Kearns in front of the net and on the second chance, Kearns beat Ullmark for his third of the year with 1:08 left in the period. Loov picked up the only assist and the Devils trailed the Americans, 5-2, after 20 minutes if action with Rochester holding the shot advantage, 17-9.
In the second period, Brendan Guhle joined an odd-man rush and beat Appleby from the hash marks for his third of the year to decrease the Americans’ lead down to three goals. Guhle’s goal was his fourth of the year with the lone helper going Colin Blackwell who fed Guhle with the pass in the offensive zone.
John Quenneville returned to the lineup after missing the last ten games and scored in the second period to pull Binghamton back within three. Brandon Gignac forced a turnover just inside the blue line and Quenneville quickly moved into the hash marks and fired a shot by Ullmark for his fifth of the season. After 40 minutes, Rochester led 6-3 while Binghamton held the shot advantage, 23-22.
In the third period, Rochester fired in four more goals. Rodrigues, Fasching, Moses, and Smith all put in goals, two on the power play, for a 10-3 final score. Blackwood stopped seven of 11 shots and Appleby put aside 12 of 18 shots. At the other end of the ice, Ullmark stopped 29 of 32 in the win.
