Game Day Build-Up: Senators at Americans – April 15, 2022

Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397

The Set-Up:

It’s becoming cliché to keep calling each of the Belleville Sens remaining games this season “must wins”, but if Belleville wants to make its first appearance in the Calder Cup Playoffs, that’s the only way to look at things. The Senators are in Rochester tonight to finish their season series with the Americans, following losses to the Amerks (6-2 last Saturday) and Laval (5-1 last Monday), along with a 1-0 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack this past Wednesday. Andrew Agozzino had the only goal of the game at CAA Arena two days ago, with Filip Gustavsson making 25 saves to earn his second shutout of the season and fourth of his AHL career. Rochester, meanwhile, has earned points in three straight games, with an overtime loss and win against Laval, plus the victory over Belleville earlier this week. The Amerks also sit .004 percentage points ahead of Belleville for the last playoff spot in the North Division.

Previous History:

Belleville has had a successful season against Rochester, despite the loss earlier in the week at home, with the Senators holding a 4-2-1-0 record against the Amerks in 2021-22. The Sens are 2-1-1-0 at home against Rochester this season and 2-1-0-0 at Blue Cross Arena. Lifetime against the Amerks, Belleville has a record of 13-9-3-0 and 8-4-0-0 in Rochester.

Roster Notes:

Despite only scoring once on Wednesday, Troy Mann will ice an identical lineup to the one that edged Hartford. Filip Gustavsson will get the start again and be backed up by Logan Flodell, who signed another PTO with Belleville. The Senators third goaltender, Michael McNiven, is away from the team for personal reasons. Belleville’s scratches tonight include Jack Dougherty (IR), Rourke Chartier (IR), Chris Wilkie, Cedric Pare, Max Guenette and Kevin Mandolese (IR).

Who to Watch:

Given that they only picked up a 1-0 win earlier in the week, there are no Senators players on current point streaks of note. Cole Reinhardt had his three-game streak snapped on Wednesday, but has had success against Rochester this season, registering nine points (five goals, four assists) in seven games against the Amerks. There will likely be plenty of focus on Filip Gustavsson as well, who is coming off the shutout on Wednesday and will make his seventh straight start.

On the Amerks side, it’s not hard to find a couple of players to keep an eye on, as budding stars Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka have been pacing their attack, especially against Belleville. Both have had four-point games against the Senators this season, with Quinn notching 12 points in seven games against the Senators in 2021-22. Goaltender Aaron Dell has earned all three of Rochester’s wins against Belleville this season, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen hasn’t seen as much success against the Senators, with a 6.10 goals against average and a .803 save percentage.

Follow the action:

Tonight’s game starts at 7:05 p.m. ET and can be heard on the Belleville Sens Official Broadcast Partner 800 AM CJBQ, with David Foot (Broadcast time is 6:50 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.

Ticket info:

CAA Arena is back to 100% capacity, with no vaccine mandate in place. Other local and provincial COVID-19 guidelines must still be followed, including the wearing of masks inside CAA Arena, unless actively eating or drinking. Tickets for tonight’s game are available via Ticketmaster or the CAA Arena Box Office (open today 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.).

Tickets for further Belleville Sens home games this season can be purchased through the same methods. Season Ticket Memberships and Flex Packs are also available with more information available at bellevillesens.com.

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