Merilainen stops season-high 35 shots as Sens knock off Pens

The Belleville Senators continued their five-game road trip and their week-long stay in Pennsylvania by knocking off one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division on Tuesday night, beating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins) 4-1 at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.

The Penguins got on the board first just past the seven-minute mark when veteran Matt Nieto’s point shot was deflected in by rookie Atley Calvert. But the Senators would counter with two goals not long after. First, Keean Washkurak barreled down the right wing boards and fed a pass across to Hayden Hodgson, who buried his third goal of the season in his first game back from a four-game suspension. Then, with Angus Crookshank in the box for holding the stick, Zack Ostapchuk flew down the left side and lasered a wrist shot over the shoulder of Filip Larsson to make it 2-1 Belleville. That score stood until the end of the period, despite the Pens outshooting the Sens 10-8.

Belleville extended its lead midway through the second period when Jorian Donovan’s shot from the right point led to a massive rebound in front of the net and Xavier Bourgault hopped on it to net his first goal since coming back from injury and his sixth of the season. The Senators outshot the Penguins 14-11 in the period and took a 3-2 lead to the dressing room after 40 minutes.

Leevi Merilainen would face a barrage of Penguins’ shots in the third period, but turned them all away, with Cole Reinhardt finding the empty net from deep in his own end to round out the scoring and extend the differential to three.

Belleville’s win ties them again on points with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning) for the final playoff spot in the North Division, with the Senators still holding a game in hand.

The Senators will stay over in Wilkes-Barre and travel to Hershey on Wednesday to take on the Bears (AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals) at 7:00 p.m.

You can see the complete box score by clicking here.

Fast Facts:

• #10 Zack Ostapchuk scored his second goal of the season and first shorthanded. He was named first star.
• #11 Jorian Donovan had two assists for his first professional multi-point game and was named the second star. He has points in back-to-back games.
• #13 Xavier Bourgault scored his sixth goal of the campaign.
• #16 Tyler Boucher picked up his third assist of the season in his return from a 21-game injury absence.
• #17 Zack MacEwen returned from an 18 game layoff.
• #23 Cole Reinhardt played his 250th AHL game and had three shots on net.
• #24 Jan Jenik was credited with his seventh assist of the season.
• #27 Keean Washkurak picked up his sixth assist.
• #34 Stephen Halliday’s four game point streak came to and end, but he registered three shots on goal.
• #35 Leevi Merilainen stopped a season-high 35 of 36 shots to earn his 12th win of the campaign.
• #42 Hayden Hodgson scored his third goal of the campaign in his return from a four-game suspension.
• #48 Filip Roos had three shots on net.

Sound Bytes:

Belleville Sens Head Coach Dave Bell on the win:

“I didn’t think we started great, but Leevi held us in there until we got our legs under us. They’re a good team and zip it around pretty good in the offensive zone, but we got our legs, kind of imposed ourselves with our big bodies and got some goals.”

Belleville Sens Head Coach Dave Bell on keeping the best power play team in the league off the scoresheet:

“It was awesome. Obviously, coming off of a tough one last game, they dug in. They had a heart-to-heart, dug in, and not only killed it, but got that shorty that ended up being the game-winner. I’m really proud of them. A lot of blocked shots, with a lot of urgency Leevi made a big save at the end there and everybody contributed.”

Belleville Sens Head Coach Dave Bell on visiting Hershey tomorrow:

“I’d like a better start, but again, another good team, a veteran team. They’re experienced with winning and it should be a good challenge for our guys.”

Belleville Sens forward Hayden Hodgson on returning to the lineup and making an impact:

“Obviously, you want to be in the lineup every night, but it wasn’t a big deal the guys were rolling. It felt great to get back out there and it was a great win for the guys tonight.”

Highlights:

Media Availabilities:

Up Next:

• Wednesday, March 5, 2025 – Belleville Senators @ Hershey Bears – 7:00 p.m. (Giant Center)
• Saturday, March 8, 2025 – Belleville Senators @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – 6:05 p.m. (Mohegan Arena)
• Sunday, March 9, 2025 – Belleville Senators @ Hartford Wolf Pack – 5:00 p.m. (XL Center)

Tickets for all 2024-25 Belleville Sens home games are now on sale via Ticketmaster, by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com, or at the Belleville Sens Box Office at CAA Arena during select hours.

Fans looking for details on other ticketing options can click the following links for more on  becoming a season seat member, purchasing a flex pack membership, or putting down a deposit for a group experience. More information on those ticket options, plus details on premium seating and Business Elite packages is available by visiting the Belleville Sens website or emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com.

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