Game Recap Share this Belleville Sens snap skid, head into Holiday Break with win over Springfield December 21, 2024 The Belleville Senators are headed into the Holiday Break on a winning note, after a 5-2 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues), who made their only visit to the CAA Arena during the 2024-25 season. Springfield opened the scoring in the first period at the 6:57 mark when Dylan Peterson jammed a rebound past Malcolm Subban after a scramble in front of the net to make it 1-0 Thunderbirds. Belleville evened up the score at 1-1 when Wyatt Bongiovanni notched his sixth goal of the season after he slid the puck past Thunderbirds goalkeeper Colten Ellis at the 16:04 mark. The Sens would jump out in front 2-1 just over one minute later when Oskar Petterson took a pass down the right wing and snapped another past a diving Ellis at 17:31. Belleville would open up a two-goal lead just 21 seconds into the second period when Xavier Bourgault punished Springfield after a bad giveaway in front of the net to push the lead to 3-1 Sens. The game would, essentially, be put on ice at the 5:33 mark of the third period when Jan Jenik would score his third goal of the season to push the lead to 4-1 Belleville. Springfield did get a consolation goal when Aleksanteri Kaskimaki scored at the 17:43 mark while playing with a two-man advantage after they pulled their goalie and were also on the power play. However, Stephen Halliday would get an empty net insurance goal late in the third period to close out a 5-2 Senators victory. Subban was solid in goal for the Sens saving 21 of the 23 shots he faced tonight to help Belleville snap a three game losing skid. You can see the complete box score by clicking here. Fast Facts #5 Wyatt Bongiovanni scored his sixth goal of the year. #13 Xavier Bourgault scored his fifth goal of the year. #32 Oskar Pettersson scored his third goal of the year. #24 Jan Jenik scored his third goal of the year. #34 Stephen Halliday scored his fifth goal of the year. #42 Hayden Hodgson earned his first point of 2024-25 with an assist on Petterson’s goal. #15 Matthew Highmore tallied his seventh assist of the season and his eight point. #27 Keean Washkurak notched his third assist of the year and his sixth point. #52 Nikolas Matinpalo earned his fifth assist of the year his seventh point. #17 Zack MacEwen earned his second assist and his sixth point. #16 Tyler Boucher earned one assist for his second point of the year. Belleville’s win snapped a three game losing streak. Belleville was 0-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 of the penalty kill. Highlights Sound Bytes: Belleville Sens Head Coach Dave Bell on the start and his team’s effort to come back after giving up the first goal: “They were disappointed in how the last three games went and they don’t like losing. They took a conscious effort to get prepared and a bit more focused before the puck drop, knowing Springfield was sititng here waiting and you know, momentum is a powerful thing. They were disciplined in their shift length, went shift-by-shift, the bench stayed positive and they eventually took the game over. I’m real proud of them.” Belleville Sens Head Coach Dave Bell on his team’s discipline: “That was one of the keys. I love emotion and you have to use your emotions, but it’s controlled emotions. Last night, we didn’t have it, tonight, guys channeled it in the right direction. They bit their tongue or took a slash and consequently, we used the whole bench, the energy stayed up and the result is what we wanted.” Belleville Sens forward Oskar Pettersson on having his family in the stands tonight: “My whole family was here, so my older brother and my parents had the chance to watch the game live. It’s been a long time since they watched me play, probably like a year ago, so they’ve had a lot of late nights back in Sweden following on the streams. So, it was great to have the family here and play in front of them again.” Belleville Sens forward Oskar Pettersson on the club’s mindset coming into the game: “Even if we let up a goal early, I thought we played some really good hockey in the first 10, 15 minutes, or so. We knew we had to get the job done today. Three losses in a row, obviously we weren’t happy at all with that, so we had to leave it all out there with a break coming up. Don’t really think too much, just leave it all on the table, and I’m happy we got the win.” Media Availabilities: Up Next: Thursday, December 26, 2024 – Belleville Senators @ Toronto Marlies – 7:00 p.m. ET (Scotiabank Arena) Saturday, December 28, 2025 – Belleville Senators vs Toronto Marlies – 7:00 p.m. ET (CAA Arena) Tuesday, December 31, 2025 – Belleville Senators vs Utica Comets – 7:00 p.m. ET (CAA Arena) Ticket Info: Tickets for all 2024-25 Belleville Sens home games 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 for details on other ticketing options can click the following links for more on 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. — Visit the Belleville Sens website: www.bellevillesens.com Engage with the Belleville Sens on Twitter: @BellevilleSens Like the Belleville Sens on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BellevilleSens Follow the Belleville Sens on Instagram: @BellevilleSens Listen to the Belleville Sens on Mixlr: www.bellevillesens.mixlr.com
