The Amerks did something on Sunday night that I don’t think they have done a lot of throughout the season, sticking up for each other when the Binghamton Senators started hitting hard.
Jamie Johnson scored the first goal of the game at 7:53 of the first period to take a 1-0 lead. On the ensuing face off the puck dropped and Jimmy Bonneau and Tim Spencer dropped the gloves (video below). The obvious point of the fight was for the Binghamton Senators to try and gain some momentum. It didn’t work.
About five minutes later Denis Hamel hit Jeff Taffe hard in the corner and put a little elbow in there as well for good measure. Jamie Johnson was quick to skate in go after Hamel in the corner. Jeff Taffe also got into the mix along with Tomas Kudelka of the Binghamton Senators. It was in the corner and tough to see but it looked like a few jabs were probably thrown with a lot of pushing and shoving.
That’s something that is supposed to happen in a hockey game. You’re teammate gets hit hard and you go in and defend him. Unfortunately I think we’ve seen too many instances where they have not stuck up for each other. The Luke Beaverson incident comes to mind. Tyler Plante and Alexander Salak getting knocked over time after time also comes to mind.
The line of Taffe, Johnson, and Steiner was obviously one of the best on the ice tonight and Binghamton was making sure to play them hard. In return shortly after the second period started as Daniel Steiner was chasing down a puck into the Binghamton end of the ice to prevent an icing he followed through hitting the Binghamton player into the boards hard. He was called for roughing on the play which was questionable, but great to see the line playing hard in return.
I asked Jason Cipolla after the game if it was good to see the team sticking up for one another for a change. He disagreed with me saying he has always thought the team has stuck up for each other when needed.
Half way through the third period Jamie Johnson was standing in front of the net when he was pushed hard into Senators goalie Chris Holt and both went down on the ice. Johnson was called for goaltender interference which was a horrible call. The whip lash motion of his head was an obvious sign he was pushed. The rest of the players on the ice quickly went at the net to help him out.
The team ended a five game losing streak by defeating a team they were supposed to win against by scoring six goals and standing tall together not giving the Senators any momentum knowing they could push the Amerks around. The team got itself back together not only with a win on the scoreboard but an emotional win knowing they were there for each other.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqB7NBAiT0g
The Amerks have a road game in Syracuse on Saturday night, we could see more of the same during that game as well.
