recap Share this Belleville Sens unable to complete comeback in Springfield April 3, 2022 The Belleville Senators could not erase an early deficit on Sunday afternoon at MassMutual Center as the Springfield Thunderbirds held onto a 3-2 win to sweep the weekend series. Springfield opened the scoring at 8:10 of the first period, when Tyler Tucker beat Filip Gustavsson from the slot as the Thunderbirds jumped out to a quick lead. Later in the frame, Sam Bitten found the back of the net as the home side continued to build on their advantage. The Thunderbirds added another early in the second, extending the score to 3-0 through James Neal. Belleville answered back with a pair of power play tallies in the stanza as forwards Egor Sokolov and Jake Lucchini cut the Springfield lead to 3-2 after forty minutes of play. Despite a third period push, the Senators were unable find a late equalizer. Sens On Special Teams Power Play: 2/4 | Penalty Kill: 3/3 Fast Facts Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves. Egor Sokolov and Jake Lucchini both extended their point streak to four straight. Captain Logan Shaw appeared in his 300th career AHL game. Belleville tied a season high for shots in a period with 20 in the second frame. Sound Bytes Head Coach Troy Mann: “A lot of resiliency in the second and third periods. Our start wasn’t what we wanted; anytime you fall behind 3-0, it’s always difficult, especially if you’re offensively challenged.” Playoff Push At the time of publishing, the Belleville Sens have fallen out of a playoff spot and now sit 6th in the American Hockey League’s North Division. Links | Box Score | Highlights | Troy Mann Scrum | North Division Standings | On the Schedule The Belleville Senators are back in action next Wednesday night (April 6) when they visit the Utica Comets. You can hear the game on the Senators’ Official Broadcast Partner 800 AM CJBQ or see it on AHL TV. Coverage begins at 6:50 pm. ET with David Foot.
