Belleville beat by Toronto again, despite 38 shots on net

It’s been a tough couple of games against the Toronto Marlies, for the Belleville Senators, who fell 4-3 to their provincial rivals on home ice. The defeat came just a couple of days after the Marlies beat the Sens in Toronto, in the annual Boxing Day Classic.

The game was taken in by 4,361 fans at CAA Arena, the second-largest crowd in franchise history.

Toronto opened the scoring in the first, via an unassisted takeaway and wrist shot from Kyle Clifford that eluded Malcolm Subban, but the Sens evened the score about five minutes later. Hayden Hodgson notched his first goal as a Senator, tipping in a point shot from rookie defenceman Djibril Touré, who ended up earning two assists in his American Hockey League debut.

Belleville was the better team in the second period, outshooting Toronto 12-5 and outscoring them 2-1. William Villeneuve had put the Marlies ahead by a goal at 5:11, but then Garrett Pilon scored for Belleville at 12:47, and Zack MacEwen finished off a gorgeous individual effort, to give the Sens a 3-2 lead.

The Marlies would score twice in the third period to get back in front with goals from Jack Quillan, his second in as many games, and a weird power play marker from Nick Abruzzese, who banked a puck off Subban and in, from behind the Belleville goal line. A late Senators flurry would come up short, with Dennis Hildeby stopping 35 of the 38 shots he faced in the Toronto net.

The Sens and Marlies will meet next on Valentine’s Day at CAA Arena, for their sixth of 10 matchups this season.

You can see the complete box score by clicking here.

Fast Facts

• #4 Jeremy Davies had 4 shots on goal
• #5 Wyatt Bongiovanni had four shots on goal
• #9 Angus Crookshank had a game-high seven shots on goal
• #16 Tyler Boucher recorded his second assist of the season
• #17 Zack MacEwen scored his fifth goal of the season and had five shots on net
• #22 Garrett Pilon notched his third goal of the season and had four shots
• #27 Keean Washkurak picked up his fourth helper of the campaign
• #33 Djibril Touré had a pair of assists in his American Hockey League debut
• #42 Hayden Hodgson scored his first goal of the season and first goal as a Senator
• #48 Filip Roos notched his fourth assists of the season
• #30 Malcolm Subban stopped 20 of the 24 shots he faced
• The Senators were 0/2 on the Lifestyle Home Products Power Play and 1/3 on the ViewTech Window and Door Penalty Kill

Highlights:

Sound Bytes:

Belleville Sens Captain Garrett Pilon on the result:

“I definitely think that game was better than the one in Toronto, but it’s tough coming out of these games without wins. At the end of the day, we want to win games and I think we took a step in the right direction in a lot of aspects of our game, but it would be nice to get those bounces.”

Belleville Sens Captain Garrett Pilon on getting the power play back on track:

“I think there’s obviously a bit of frustration there. You want to win the special teams battle and for us it hasn’t been happening. I think for us, we just can’t get too in our heads about it. I think we’re still doing some good things and there’s no hitting the panic button yet, but obviously, you want results. For us, it’s sticking with it, staying positive and sticking together.”

Belleville Sens defender Djibril Touré on adjusting to the pro game in both the ECHL and AHL:

“This is a men’s league. These are grown men, so it’s different from junior but I think I’m adapting well. The speed is way faster too, so I just need to move that puck quicker. And compared to the ECHL, it’s definitely more structured up here, but it’s the same kind of game, super fast and physical.”

Belleville Sens defender Djibril Touré on developing his game and trying to stick in the AHL:

“I just want to play my game. Help out the team my way, which is being physical, being a stopper on the back-end and playing my role. I want to add more to my game though, so if that’s moving the puck, or making a skill play, or being physical – I just want to do it all and help out the team any way I can.”

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Up Next:

• Tuesday, December 31, 2024 – Belleville Senators vs Utica Comets – 7:00 p.m. ET (CAA Arena)
• Friday, January 3, 2025 – Belleville Senators @ Syracuse Crunch – 7:00 p.m. ET (Upstate Medical University Arena)
• Saturday, January 4, 2025 – Belleville Senators @ Utica Comets – 7:00 p.m. ET (Adirondack Bank Centre)

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.

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