Game Day Build-Up: Belleville and Cleveland set for midweek rematch as Sens’ seven-game homestand continues

Belleville Senators Game Day Build-Up
Mar.26/25 vs Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets)

The Set Up:

After a disappointing weekend that saw them earn only two of a possible six points, the Belleville Senators are refocused and prepared to make another charge into the North Division playoff places. The Senators continue their seven-game homestand at CAA Arena tonight with a rematch against the Cleveland Monsters, who squeaked by them 2-1 on Sunday afternoon. Belleville enters the week still in sixth place in the division, two points back of Syracuse and tonight’s opponent four points back of tonight’s opponent, the Monsters, in fourth. A Belleville win tonight would tie them on points with Syracuse, but the Crunch hold the first tiebreaker of regulation wins, making a non-extra time victory that much more important against a club from Cleveland that now has its sights set back on the Toronto Marlies in third.

Previous History:

This is the fourth and final meeting of the season between Belleville and Cleveland, with two interesting trends coming to light. The first being that all three games have finished by 2-1 scorelines, and the second being that the road team has won all three games so far, though both of Belleville’s wins at Rocket Arena in February were in overtime or shootout, while Cleveland’s win at CAA Arena last weekend came in regulation. Belleville’s lifetime record against the Monsters is 14-15-0-2 with a mark of 7-6-0-2 on home ice.

Roster Notes: 

Belleville rookie forward Stephen Halliday had an exciting week, being recalled to Ottawa briefly to practice with the NHL club, before being returned to the Friendly City in time for tonight’s matchup. Other than that back-and-forth transaction, Head Coach Dave Bell isn’t anticipating any other changes to the lineup, from Sunday. 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:

Forward Tyler Boucher was the only Senator to score last Sunday, ripping home his fifth goal of the season on the power play. The 22-year-old Arizona-born forward was selected 10th overall by the Senators in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, but has played limited games due to various injuries, but continues to battle back to game shape putting up those five goals, plus three assists over 37 games this season. Defenceman Max Guenette had an assist last Sunday against Cleveland and has eight points (four goals, four assists) over his last nine games played.

Monsters all-time leading scorer Trey Fix-Wolansky added another one to his total last weekend, scoring the game-winning goal (his 21st of the season and 107th of his career), while also pounding a game-high six shots on net. The 25-year-old from Edmonton, Alberta has played all 278 games of his AHL career with Cleveland, along with 26 NHL games in Columbus, and is 11 points away from tying his career high for a season (71) set back in 2022-23.

At the Rink:

With the Senators on a seven-game, playoff push homestand, it’s a great opportunity to stock up on your favourite team gear at the Locker Room Store! Be sure to stop by the storefront in the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre before the game, the Gate 2 Merchandise Stand in-game tonight, or online anytime at shop.bellevillesens.com. CAA Arena gates will open at 6:00 p.m. tonight, as usual.

Follow the Action:

Puck drop today is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from CAA Arena, in Belleville, Ontario. Broadcast coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. ET with David Foot, and Tim Durkin, 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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