Before the Black Bears vs Indiana 2/6 & 2/7

BINGHAMTON- The Black Bears welcome the Indiana Sentinels to Visions Veterans Memorial Arena as the two teams come off very different weekends. The last time these teams met, it was a slugfest dominated by the Black Bears, who took both games by multiple goals. The first night was the closer of the two, as Indiana held Binghamton to a two-goal lead for most of the contest. It was Mac Jansen, shorthanded, who put the finishing touches on the game, sealing a 4–1 Black Bears victory with an empty-net goal while down a man. The second night  followed a similar script. The Black Bears jumped out to an early lead, and the Sentinels were never able to catch up. A three-goal third period was more than enough to secure a 6–1 victory for the home team. Goaltending was stellar on both nights for Binghamton, as they surrendered just one goal per game.

The Black Bears have since hit their first skid in quite some time, dropping their last three home games. The Twin City Thunderbirds made the long trip from North Carolina and delivered two strong performances. Twin City opened the scoring in night one before Binghamton responded with two quick goals of their own. The Thunderbirds then rattled off three straight goals, opening the game’s first two-goal lead. The Black Bears battled back to tie the game with a pair of late goals but ultimately fell in overtime, earning just one point. Night two was controlled by Twin City from the start, as they quickly built a two-goal lead and stunned the Black Bears. Binghamton responded by tying the game, but the Thunderbirds answered with another surge. Three consecutive goals put the Black Bears in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. Despite a strong push, Binghamton fell 7–5. The Black Bears will look to regroup, get back in the win column, and put an end to their three-game skid. They enter the matchup at 30-5-1, good for first place in the Empire Division with 89 points.

The Sentinels come into Binghamton riding their best weekend of the season. Indiana traveled to Topeka and returned with all six points. Chris Curr provided strong goaltending, stopping 30 of 32 shots in a closely contested night-one win. Night two was tight again, but two goals from Bohdan Zinchenko — along with multi-point performances from Ashton Collazo, Dylan Infantino, and Vladislav Pavlov — propelled the Sentinels to their first weekend sweep of the season. Riding high, the visitors from Indiana will look to capitalize on Binghamton’s recent struggles. The Sentinels enter the matchup 8-20-4, seventh in the Empire Division with 27 points.

Players to Watch

Black Bears — Austin D’Orazio (D)
Binghamton entered the season needing an offensive defenseman to fill the void left by several offseason departures. D’Orazio has done that and more since joining the team a few weeks into the season. He has provided a steady presence on the blue line at even strength and on the power play, where he is tied for the league lead in power-play goals. His ability to jump into the rush can change the momentum of a game, making him a focal point this weekend.

Black Bears — C.J. Stubbs (F)
Stubbs is once again enjoying a phenomenal season at the top of Binghamton’s forward group. He leads the league in goals and points and ranks second in assists. Always around the puck, Stubbs has a knack for finding big goals when they’re needed most. As one-third of the newly reassembled top line, the Black Bears will be counting on continued production from him and contributions throughout the lineup.

Sentinels — Bohdan Zinchenko (F)
 Zinchenko has found a home in Indiana after bouncing between teams last season. He is the engine of Coach Thompson’s offense, and opponents must be aware whenever he’s on the ice. His speed and puck control make him a scoring threat from anywhere. Indiana’s turnaround has started with Zinchenko, and without him, the Sentinels wouldn’t be as close to the playoff picture as they are.

Schedule

February 6, 7:00 pm at The Visions Veterans Memorial Arena (Binghamton, NY.)

February 7, 7:00 pm at The Visions Veterans Memorial Arena (Binghamton, NY.)

You can watch both of the games on the Binghamton Black Bears YouTube channel.