Sabourin Stellar in Regulation, Drops Shootout Against Binghamton

HERSHEY, PA – Steven Oleksy makes a pass during a game earlier in the season (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)

After another frustrating home loss the night before, the Hershey Bears traveled north of their state border to battle the division leading Binghamton Senators. In Dany Sabourin’s first shootout of the season, he failed to stop a single shot, as the Senators topped the Bears in only three rounds of the skills competition.

Only 7:29 into the contest, the Bears tallied first on future NHL goaltender Robin Lehner. With a screen setup in front of the Binghamton goal mount, Ryan Stoa blasted a shot past a blinded Lehner to give Hershey the early lead.

In previous games, careless turnovers by the Bears in their own defensive zone has led directly to scoring chances against. With 2:39 left in the opening period, the B-Sens’ Mike Hoffman tied the game directly following another miscue in the defensive end. Despite out shooting Binghamton 13-8, both teams were tied at one following 20 minutes.

Into the middle frame both teams added a goal and entered the locker room at second intermission tied 2-2. The B-Sens took  their first lead of the night only 2:02 into the period. Mark Stone found a loose puck on the goal crease that Dany Sabourin failed to cover up. It was poked into the net for his eighth goal of the campaign.

4:49 later, Steve Oleksy tied the game for Hershey. He blasted a bullet from the center-point to the top-shelf of the net to knot the game.

Both teams failed to tally once more in regulation and in a five minute sudden death period leading to Sabourin’s first shootout of the season. Lehner stopped all three Hershey shots he faced, and Sabourin yielded all three of his opportunities to hand Binghamton a shootout win.

Hershey for the second time this season fell to the Senators after regulation. The Bears out shot the B-Sens 40-30 in 65 minutes of back-and-forth hockey. It is safe to say that even though the Bears fell short, effort was not a problem Saturday night in Binghamton, New York.

This was the Bears’ final game before the 2013 AHL All-Star Classic in Providence. Jeff Taffe will represent the Hershey Bears for the annual event.