Game Day Build-Up: Belleville Sens cap Pennsylvania leg of road trip in Wilkes-Barre

Belleville Senators Game Day Build-Up
Mar.8/25 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL Affiliate: Pittsburgh Penguins)

The Set Up:

As the Belleville Senators get set to wrap up the Pennsylvania leg of their five-game road trip, they find themselves in a position to tighten their grip on a playoff spot in the AHL’s competitive North Division. A Syracuse Crunch loss to Utica last night means that Belleville now has a two-point lead and a game in hand on the Crunch for the fifth and final spot. Moreover, the Senators are only six points back of Cleveland for third, which would avoid the dreaded first-round best-of-three series that they’ve twice had to play in. The Sens are looking to continue on their solid run of play that began in February and has translated into March, with Belleville beating both the Pens and defending champs from Hershey earlier this week. The Penguins are in the midst of a three-in-three after hammering the Hartford Wolf Pack 7-1 on the road last night and preparing to host Syracuse tomorrow. The Sens aim to put a stamp on the season series here in Wilkes-Barre, before facing the Wolf Pack themselves tomorrow.

Previous History:

This is the final game of the four-game set between the Sens and Pens this season, with Belleville’s mid-week win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton giving them a 2-1-0-0 advantage on the campaign. Lifetime against the Penguins, Belleville is 6-5-0-0 and 4-1-0-0 at the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre.

Roster Notes: 

The parent club Ottawa Senators were active ahead of yesterday’s NHL trade deadline and at least one move is going to have a significant impact on the AHL affiliate in Belleville. Among his moves yesterday, Ottawa General Manager Steve Staios made a deal to acquire forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Tristen Robins from the San Jose Sharks, for a package that included current Belleville forward Zack Ostapchuk, and Noah Gregor. Ostapchuk leaves Belleville after playing 84 games for the club over the past two seasons, registering 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists). While Zetterlund is headed to Ottawa, Robins is headed to Belleville and will join the AHL Sens here in Pennsylvania. The 23-year-old, UK-born forward was drafted by San Jose in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and has put up 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 41 games with Sharks AHL affiliate the San Jose Barracuda this season.  Inactives for Belleville tonight include Wyatt Bongiovanni, Jamieson Rees, Mads Sogaard and Donovan Sebrango. You can click here for a full list of up-to-date transactions, with full lineup details ahead of game time via the Belleville Sens social channels (@BellevilleSens).

Who to Watch:

Senators blueliner Max Guenette has scored empty net goals in both games so far this week and while a couple of insurance goals into an empty cage might not seem like a big deal, those two tallies have helped the fourth-year Senator take the lead in another of Belleville’s all-time defensive stat categories. Guenette already tops the club’s all-time defensive list for games played (221), points (111), assists (86) and now goals (25), passing Lassi Thomson to take over the record. The 23-year-old from Sainte-Foy, Quebec has three points (two goals, one assist) over his last two games and had that empty net goal, an assist, and a +3 rating on Wednesday in Hershey.

Meanwhile, Penguins rookie Rutger McGroarty lived up to his top prospect status last night in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s 7-1 win in Hartford. The 20-year-old, who was taken 14th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets and traded to the Penguins, had three points last night (one goal, two assists) and sits eighth in scoring among AHL rookies with 34-points (11 goals, 23 assists). The former University of Michigan Wolverines star is also fourth on the Penguins in in scoring and has three assists in three games against Belleville this season.

Follow the Action:

Puck drop tonight set for 6:05 p.m. ET from the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Broadcast coverage begins at 5:55 p.m. ET with David Foot, and can be seen on AHLTV on FloHockey or heard free on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network.

Ticket Info:

Tickets for all Belleville Sens home games through the 2024-25 season are now on sale via Ticketmaster, or by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com. Hours for the Belleville Sens Box Office at CAA Arena are available here.

Fans can click the following links for more information on becoming a season seat member, purchasing a flex pack membership, or putting down a deposit for a group experience. For more details on those ticket options, plus details on premium seating and Business Elite packages, visit the Belleville Sens website or email tickets@bellevillesens.com.

The full Belleville Sens 2024-25 regular season schedule is available here. 

About the Belleville Senators

The Belleville Senators are the American Hockey League affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators and have been operating in the AHL since the 2017-18 season. The Senators play their home games out of the CAA Arena at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre and have graduated more than 60 players to the NHL since moving from Binghamton, New York.

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