Binghamton Wins the AsHL Cup!!!

[Ottawa GM]

Binghamton had an up and down season. Part way through the season they were leading the East standings. The wheels fell off for a stretch but Binghamton still was able to clinch a playoff berth on the last day of the regular season and finished 7th in the East.

Round 1 - Richmond Renegades
The Senators lost their first game in overtime then went on to take the next 3 from the Renegades. The Renegades where able to squeak past the Senators in the next 2 games to force a game 7 back in Richmond. Andrew Aggozino scored 2 third period goals including the game winner with 26 seconds left in the game to push the Senators to round 2.

Round 2 - Adirondack Angels
The Angels were the number 1 team in the East during the regular season and won the round 1 series against Halifax four games to two. In this series Binghamton again after four games a had three to one series lead. The Angels would win game 5 but Binghamton came back in a big way to take game 6 with a final of six to two and take the series four games to two.

Round 3 - Carolina Panthers
The Panthers had only lost 1 game in each of the previous 2 rounds and were on quite a roll. Game four saw complete domination from the Panthers with a five to nothing win for them and this time the Senators found themselves down three games to one in the series. The Senators would pull off two, one goal games to force a game 7 in Carolina. Three second period goals from Binghamton would prove to be too much the Panthers and Binghamton would lift the Eastern Conference Champion Trophy and head to the AsHL finals.

Round 4 - Seattle Thunderbirds
The cup final!! Seattle had only lost a combined 4 games in the first 3 rounds. Seattle also had former Binghamton stars Pavel Zacha and Ivan Barbashev in their line-up who where acquired at the deadline in the Rickard Rakell deal. Zacha was having an amazing playoff starting for the Thunderbirds. Binghamton got the first notch in the series with a four to two win. Binghamton scored three first period goals and Jordan Tootoo got credited with the winner on the power play. The next 3 games all went to over time. Game 2 saw Paul Carey score the winner for Binghamton 5 minutes into the 2nd overtime frame giving the Senators a two nothing series lead. Game 3 had Max Reinhart score for Binghamton 7 minutes into the first overtime and Binghamton had a commanding three games to none series lead. Game 4 had a flurry goals and Seattle's Nikita Soshnikov scored the 6th Thunderbird goal 9 minutes into overtime to get Seattle on the board in the series. Game 5 had the Senators goalie Jordan Binnington standing on his head stopping 45 of 47 shots. Tomas Jurco score his 11th and 12th goals of the playoffs and Binghamton won the game six to two take take home the AsHL cup!!

Two players really stood out for Binghamton during there run to the cup.
Tomas Jurco scored 12 goals and added 13 assists. Jurco was the best forward in the playoffs.
Jordan Binnington had a 0.917 save percentage and a 2.60 goals against. While his numbers are very solid, it was his ability to win the battle every series against his counter parts at the other end of the rink in net. Jordan always came up with that big save when his team needed it.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Binghamton Senators AsHL Cup Champs !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


This is the second AsHL cup that GM Hickerson has been apart of. His first came when he was an AGM with former Avalanche GM Rob Lee when the Regina Pats won the AsHL title.


Thanks to the commissioner for all his hard work and the GM's who make the NsHL GREAT!