Game Recap: Marlies edge Senators in overtime to spoil 2025-26 home opener

The Battle of Ontario returned as the Belleville Senators hosted the Toronto Marlies in the 2025-26 home opener on Saturday night.

After going back and forth for most of the first two periods, the Marlies would open the scoring late in the second. Jacob Quillan and Borya Valis got in on a two-on-one against Mads Sogaard, and Valis was able to beat the Great Dane with a shot from in tight on the right side. The Senators were outshot heavily through 40 minutes, 21-9, but did have a handful of chances. The best came from Keean Washkurak on a shorthanded breakaway, but he couldn’t get the puck to settle, and the Sens trailed 1-0  heading into the third period.

The Sens would continue to apply pressure for most of the third, until Oskar Pettersson tied the game midway through the period, beating Denis Hildeby with a low shot between the legs. Belleville had another flurry of chances late, and Mads Sogaard stopped everything he saw in the period, forcing the divisional rivals to overtime.

But, in the extra frame, Valis came streaking down the right wing side and found a hole on Sogaard to end the game and give Toronto the 2-1 victory.

The Senators will see the Marlies later this month when they visit Toronto for a pair of games at Coca-Cola Coliseum on October 25 and 26. Belleville is back in action on Sunday afternoon when they welcome the Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning) for a 3:00 p.m. puck drop at CAA Arena.

Fast Facts:

• #2 Matt Andonovski made his American Hockey League and pro debut
• #15 Olle Lycksell made his Belleville Sens debut
• #40 Mads Sogaard stopped 23 of 25 shots he faced
• #32 Oskar Pettersson scored his frist goal of the 2025-26 season

Highlights:

Postgame Availabilities:

Sound Bytes:

Head Coach Dave Bell on the game:

“It was extremely fast. There’s a lot of long stretches with no whistles either, and the tempo was really high both ways. Obviously after the first, the first two periods, the shots weren’t great, but, you know, I didn’t feel like the shots were that lopsided. We did a decent job of not giving up, ‘grade A’s’ in the middle of the ice. And then, the push in the third, they just played the right way, they went downhill, got pucks inside and gave ourselves a chance.”

Head Coach Dave Bell on Oskar Pettersson’s performance:

“Well, he plays the right way. He doesn’t cheat the game. He’s always on the right side of the puck and he’s a great checker. I put him on that line with Lycksell and Pilon to match up with that Boyd line and he did a good job. Again, he played the right way, stripped a puck and it was a great shot by Petey.

Forward Oskar Pettersson on his team’s game:

“I think I didn’t really like our start, I don’t think we came out, the way we wanted. I think Sogy kept us in the game with a couple really good saves. Really liked the effort in the third. I think we came back, really strong and played our game in the third. I think we were the closer team to find that second goal, but yeah, unfortunately it was a tough loss.”

Ticket Info:

Single-game tickets for the first half of the 2025-26 season are now on sale via Ticketmaster or at the Belleville Sens Box Office located inside the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre. Details on season seat memberships, flex packs, premium seating, the Business Edge program, and more can be found by visiting the Belleville Sens Website. 

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