(Binghamton, NY) – For the second time in as many weeks, two power-play goals was all that was needed for the Rochester Americans to sneak by the Binghamton Senators, 2-1, Saturday at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. The win snaps a three-game skid for the Amerks, who also avoided the weekend sweep following last night’s 4-0 loss to the Senators in the first game of a home-and-home series between the North Division rivals. Rochester is now 3-1-0-0 against Binghamton while improving to 18-18-2-1 overall on the season.
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The Amerks trailed 1-0 just over four minutes into the contest, but answered back with two power-play goals in the second period to go along with 22 saves from Nathan Lieuwen to hold on for the win. Lieuwen improved to 3-0-0 against Binghamton this season and remains stellar with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .966 save percentage in his three starts opposite the Senators.
Dan Catenacci and Jerome Leduc provided the offense for Rochester, while Bobby Sanguinetti, Evan Rodrigues, Jason Akeson and Colby Robak all chipped in assists. Leduc set a new career-high with his seventh goal of the season tonight while Akeson regained the team’s scoring lead after notching the secondary assist on Leduc’s game-winner.
Zack Stortini netted the lone goal for the Senators and Scott Greenham, fresh off his 33-save shutout last night in Rochester, made 28 stops while making his second start of the weekend.
Binghamton opened the scoring for the second straight night, taking a 1-0 lead just 4:08 into the contest on a power-play goal from Stortini. With the Senators working the puck around the offensive zone, newcomer Connor Allen, acquired earlier this week in a trade from Nashville, teed up a shot from the point that Stortini tipped up and over Lieuwen to put the hosts ahead. Tobias Lindberg also collected an assist on the goal, Binghamton’s third straight on the man-advantage against the Amerks in the two-game set.
Entering the matchup with just one goal over their last seven periods, the Amerks would end their scoring drought in a big way, striking twice on consecutive power-play opportunities while outshooting the Senators 13-6 in the second period. Catenacci knotted the score at 5:51 after locating Sanguinetti’s rebound in traffic and flipping it past Greenham for his sixth of the season, effectively snapping Rochester’s dry spell at 260:58.
Leduc then pushed Rochester’s lead to 2-1 less than six minutes later, firing a one-timer to the upper corner off a set up from Robak. As the Amerks gained the Binghamton zone, Akeson slowed the play along the right wing boards before leaving the puck for Robak at the high slot. Robak wasted no time in moving it across the blueline to Leduc, who stepped into a blistering slap-shot that fooled Greenham to put Rochester in front for good.
With less than 1:30 remaining, the Senators pulled their netminder for an extra attacker, but the Amerks survived Binghamton’s late push, which included facing a 6-on-4 disadvantage for the final 39 seconds of regulation.
The Amerks return to home ice on Monday, Jan. 18 as the North Division rival Syracuse Crunch make their way back to Rochester for a rare afternoon matchup at The Blue Cross Arena. The 3:05 p.m. matinee will be the fourth of 10 meetings between the longtime rivals this season and will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1280 Rochester.
Goal Scorers
RCH: Catenacci (6), Leduc (7)
BNG: Stortini (6)
Shots
RCH: 30
BNG: 23
Goaltenders
RCH: Lieuwen – W (22/23)
BNG: Greenham – L (28/30)
Special Teams
Amerks Power Play: 2-3
Amerks Penalty Kill: 2-3
