AHL: Refining Volchenkov

While it may not stir the emotions quite like the rivalry that exists between Rochester and Syracuse, plenty of animosity exists when the Crunch head south to take on their other in-state rival, the Binghamton Senators.

The clubs renewed acquaintances recently as Syracuse paid a visit to Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena and, for the first time in six opportunities this season, walked away with two points after downing the talented Senators 3-2 in a shootout.

Anton Volchenkov (Ott), D, Binghamton

Toiling in the American League after spending previous two campaigns with Ottawa ..

has really turned up scoring pace recently after a sluggish start, recording 13 points in the last 12 outings heading into this contest .. despite the increased output, however, he appeared hesitant at times in the offensive end, especially working the point on the power play .. also made a few errant first passes out of the zone which is out of character for him .. while his offense is still evolving, defensively he is much more a finished product .. plays in all situations, logging loads of icetime .. boasts NHL size and better than average wheels .. earned a reputation early in NHL career for his bodychecking ability however, though he still plays with an edge, an early-season shoulder injury seems to have tempered his aggressiveness somewhat .. appears to be using his AHL time wisely and should be a fixture on the Ottawa blueline for years to come.

Brandon Bochenski (Ott), RW, Binghamton

Seventh-rounder has been a pleasant surprise for Baby Sens this season, leading all AHL rookies in scoring with 19 goals and 33 points in 45 games while earning a trip to the All-Star Game .. skates on a line with AHL star Jason Spezza and fellow NHLer Antoine Vermette .. Bochenski's game is tailor-made for a creative playmaker such as Spezza .. excels at finding soft spots in a defense and boasts extraordinary finishing abilities .. demonstrated each of these traits on second-period tally .. possesses an NHL caliber shot .. though not the smoothest of skaters, he seems to get from A to B adequately, and can find an extra gear at times when a scoring opportunity presents itself .. still needs work on the defensive side, doesn't finish checks well and rarely wins a 50-50 battle in his own zone .. prefers to play on the fringe when it comes to physical play .. will get chance at the next level given his offensive weapons, however, how successful he becomes will depend on whether he can round out his game.

Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (CBJ), D, Syracuse

Columbus third-rounder is making his AHL debut after spending two seasons with Brandon of the WHL .. brought along slowly to begin the year and was in a rotation of sorts with fellow rookie and Maine product Prestin Ryan .. however, Injuries have made him an everyday player of late and he is taking advantage of increased playing time .. played one of his better games of the year against Binghamton .. was a physical presence all evening long, even more so than his Sens' counterpart Volchenkov .. logged plenty of icetime as the Crunch dressed only five defensemen for the game .. a good skater with a fluid stride .. his outlet passing has shown marked improvement since the beginning of the season, however, he must continue to refine his attacking skills .. offensively, his game is still raw and evolving .. rarely looks to jump into the rush, concentrating primarily on his defensive responsibilities, which isn't necessarily a bad thing at this stage .. still a solid prospect for the Blue Jackets who will likely need a least one more year of seasoning in the AHL.

Greg Mauldin (CBJ), LW, Syracuse

Turned pro following his junior year at UMass and has easily been the biggest surprise for Syracuse this season with 17 points in 36 games and a team-high plus-8 rating .. sees a regular shift and some powerplay time .. a first-rate skater with blazing speed who appears to be getting more and more comfortable with the puck each game .. his speed combined with an ability to execute at top gear makes him difficult to knock off the puck .. tended to disappear during physical contests early in the season, but have seen very little of that lately .. starting to embrace physical play at both ends of the ice .. displayed some finishing ability in the shootout by beating Senator goalie Ray Emery top shelf .. as with most young prospects, there's definitely room for improvement on the defensive end .. his big-league wheels will open doors, but developing his overall game will dictate how long he stays.

Game Notes .. Both teams were playing their fourth game in five nights .. Jason Spezza added to his league-leading totals by recording helpers on both Binghamton goals, and also converted in the shootout .. Ray Emery continues to struggle with consistency this season. On Sunday, he was beat on a 50-foot dump-in during a line change late in the third period .. Former London Knight Danny Bois had a forgettable game. Just over three minutes in, Bois took an undisciplined penalty behind the Senators net and in the second period was ejected for fighting Jeremy Reich before the puck dropped. Both Bois and Reich were subsequently suspended two games by the league for their actions.