Game Day Build-Up: Senators at Thunderbirds – April 2, 2022

Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397

The Set-Up:

The Belleville Senators four-game road trip got off to a solid start on Friday, with a 4-1 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack, but the challenges continue to mount as the Sens play the first of back-to-back games in Springfield, against the Atlantic Division-leading Thunderbirds. Jonathan Aspirot, Lassi Thomson, Egor Sokolov and Logan Shaw all scored for the Senators on Friday night, with Belleville going 3/5 on the power play and  a perfect 5/5 on the penalty kill. The Thunderbirds are also in the middle of a busy weekend, as they picked up a 1-0 win in Providence on Friday night, ahead of the weekend double-header with Belleville.

Previous History:

Belleville and Springfield split their previous two meetings this season at CAA Arena, with the Senators losing the first game on January 7 4-3, and winning the next night by a 7-5 score line. Lifetime against Springfield, the Belleville Sens have a 1-4-0-0 record, with an 0-2-0-0 mark at MassMutual Center.

Roster Notes:

With three games in about two-and-a-half days, Troy Mann has decided to go with 11 forwards and seven defencemen tonight. The coach says that gives Max Guenette a chance to get back into the lineup, after being scratched on Friday, while also allowing a bit more ice time for some of the Senators forward group. Michael McNiven is slated to start in net, making his first appearance in goal as a member of the Senators.

Who to Watch:

Senators defenceman Lassi Thomson is riding a three-game point streak coming into tonight’s game, despite missing eight games due to injury, after notching a goal and an assist last night. Belleville captain Logan Shaw also had a goal and an assist last night and has three points (two goals, one assist) over his last three games played. Rookie forward Roby Jarventie also snapped a four-game pointless streak with an assist last night and will look to benefit from some extra ice time this evening.

The Thunderbirds boast a handful of well-known names, including James Neal (869 NHL games) and Luke Witkowski (132 NHL games), along with former AHL scoring leader Sam Anas, who is riding a three-game point streak (four goals, two assists) into tonight’s game. Forward Dakota Joshua has points in his last four games (two goals, three assists).

Follow the action:

Tonight’s game starts at 6:05 p.m. ET and can be heard on the Belleville Sens Official Broadcast Partner 800 AM CJBQ, with David Foot (Broadcast time is 5:50 p.m.). The game can also be streamed live on AHL TV.

Don’t forget to download the Belleville Senators app before game time and follow the Sens social media (@BellevilleSens) for updates.

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