BINGHAMTON, NY. – The Binghamton Senators scored four unanswered goals to secure a 4-3 comeback win against the Utica Comets at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena on Saturday night.
The Utica Comets scored the only two goals of the first period to take the early lead of the night. The first goal came at the 6:41 mark of the period after Darren Archibald was at the right faceoff circle and found Curtis Valk streaking up the middle. Valk lifted the puck to the top right shelf for his ninth goal of the year with John Negrin picking up the other assist.
Utica struck again a little over three minutes later after Jordan Subban released a wrister from the blue line during a power play that made it through a screen of players and past Matt O’Connor. Alexandre Grenier and Pascal Pelletier assisted on Subban’s seventh goal of the season. Binghamton went to the locker room for the first intermission trailing 2-0 despite outshooting Utica 11-7.
As the second period looked to be coming to a scoreless end, the Comets increased its lead to 3-0 after a flurry in front of the net at the 18:43 point. The puck went in off of Cole Cassels’ skate with assists going to Joseph LaBate and Marco Roy.
Buddy Robinson responded with a goal of his own 15 seconds later to get the B-Sens on the board. Robinson scored his fifth goal of the year off a shot in between the hash marks that rung the crossbar. Kyle Flanagan and Max McCormick were awarded assists on the home team’s first goal of the night.
With just 0.3 seconds left to play in the middle frame, McCormick ripped a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that beat Michael Garteig. Chris Carlisle and Chad Nehring picked up assists on McCormick’s seventh goal of the year. The B-Sens went to the final intermission down 3-2 and outshooting the Comets 23-16.
Kyle Flanagan scored the game-tying goal and his fourth of the season just over nine minutes into the final frame. Jason Akeson passed the puck to Flanagan who carried it around the back of the net, in between the hash marks, and lifted it up to the top right shelf. Flanagan’s goal forced overtime with the B-Sens leading the shots 31-26.
It only took one shot in the overtime frame to give Binghamton the come-from-behind win with a final 4-3 score. Chris Rumble came from behind the net and skated out to the top of circle. His initial shot went wide and came off the end wall where Jack Rodewald was waiting to lift it over the right leg pad of Garteig.
O’Connor earned the win with 23 stops while Garteig had 28 saves in the losing effort.
The Binghamton Senators head on the road before Christmas with a Monday, December 19, matchup against the Rochester Americans at 7:05 p.m. before traveling to Albany on Wednesday night for a 7:00 p.m. matchup against the Devils. Fans can tune in on U.S. Country 96.9 FM, 680 AM, iHeartRadio’s website and mobile app, and AHL Live.
