Merilainen masterful as B-Sens hand Marlies their first loss of the season

For the second consecutive night the Belleville Sens and Toronto Marlies needed a penalty shootout to decide the winner.

On Friday night in Toronto, the Marlies edged the Sens 4-3 after a shootout but on Saturday night it would be the Sens who were victorious 2-1.

In the first period, it appeared the Marlies would open the scoring with just 1:12 remaining when a shot was deflected past Sens keeper Leevi Merilainen but after a brief consultation amongst the officials, the goal was waved off for a high stick.

Then just seconds later, Belleville would make it 1-0 when Jan Jenik scored his second of the season by deflecting a shot past Marlies goalie Dennis Hildeby at the 19:03 mark.

Toronto would even the score at 1-1 at the 5:25 mark of the second period when Alex Steeves slapped a one-timer past Merilainen who looked screened on the shot.

With the score tied late in the third period, disaster almost struck when the Marlies goaltender came out of his net to corral a loose puck and tried shooting it around the boards only to hit his own goal post. Luckily for Hildeby, he sparred himself an internet viral moment.

In overtime, Belleville’s Matthew Highmore was awarded a penalty shot after being pulled down from behind while on a breakaway but he couldn’t convert his opportunity and so for the second straight night overtime would solve nothing between the Marlies and Sens which forced the teams to head for another shootout.

This time it was Belleville coming out on top with Highmore gaining redemption for his earlier missed penalty shot when he put the winner past Hildeby to give the Sens a 2-1 win.

Unfortunately, injuries would put a damper the Sens celebration with Jenik being helped off the ice in the second period never to return as well as Hayden Hodgson going down hurt in the third period.

You can click here to see Saturday’s full box score.

Fast Facts:

• Tonight’s attendance at the CAA Arena was 3,232
• #24 Jan Jenik scored his second goal of the season
• Both #48 Filip Roos and #20 Philipe Daoust earned the first points of the season assisting on Jenik’s goal
• #35 Leevi Merilainen saved 23/24 shots in regulation time and 3/3 in the shootout
• Belleville was 0/3 on the Lifestyle Home Products Power Play and 1/1 on the ViewTech Window and Door Penalty Kill

Sound Bytes:

Belleville Sens forward Matt Highmore on the win:

“We fought hard. It wasn’t perfect, obviously we want to continue to build on our game, but wins help with that and it was a big one for us.”

Belleville Sens forward Matt Highmore on the weekend overall:

“First off, we’re just continuing to build our game, round it out and gain more experience. Going into these games, you know it’s going to be tight checking because they have a really good team over there. We just want to keep working on our game, understanding what makes us tick and getting better from there.”

Belleville Sens forward Matt Highmore on Leevi Merilainen’s play this weekend:

“He was stellar. Both nights, he was super good for us and held us in there when we strayed from our game. He’s an amazing goalie, calms us down back there, and it was a great weekend for him.”

Belleville Sens goaltender Leevi Merilainen on his workload this weekend:

“I don’t think it’s too big of a deal to play two games in a row. I’ve done that plenty of times before and it’s nothing new for me. I think we played pretty well both games, we didn’t give them too much and I didn’t have to do too much either, so that makes it easier.”

Belleville Sens goaltender Leevi Merilainen on helping the team pick up three points this weekend:

“That’s my job, to not allow the other team to score and to keep them from getting too much momentum. I think I did a pretty good job at that and I feel like I got better as the game went on, they got a couple more chances and I feel like that helps me to play better.”

Highlights:

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Up Next:

• Wednesday October 30 2024 – Belleville vs Providence (7:00 p.m. ET – CAA Arena) (Halloween Game)
• Saturday November 2, 2024 – Belleville @ Syracuse (7:00 p.m. ET – Upstate Medical University Arena)
• Friday November 8, 2024 – Belleville vs Laval (7:00 p.m. ET – CAA Arena) (Military Appreciation Night)
• Saturday November 9, 2024 – Belleville vs Laval (7:00 p.m. ET – CAA Arena) (Loyalist College Student & Alumni Night)

Ticket Info:

Tickets for all games through the first half of the 2024-25 Belleville Sens season 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 to get a head start on locking up tickets for any game on the schedule can do so now by 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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