Game Day Build-Up: Senators begin busy month at home vs Lehigh Valley

Nov.4/22 vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)

Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397

The Set-Up:

With the month of October and a tough two-loss road trip to the Midwest United States in the rear-view mirror, the Belleville Senators (3-4-1-0) are turning their focus and looking ahead to some quality time at home this month. The Senators kick off their 10-game November schedule tonight against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2-4-1-0) at CAA Arena, for the first of eight home games during the month. Belleville will be looking to use their home ice advantage to help them climb back up the North Division standings, after losses in Milwaukee (4-2) and Rockford (8-2) last weekend, saw them fall out of the division’s top spot. The Phantoms come into Belleville having lost their last three games and are trying to break out of a scoring slump as well. Lehigh Valley is among the lowest-scoring teams in the AHL, coming into the game with just 17 goals for, over their first seven games played.

Previous History:

Belleville hasn’t had too much trouble with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms over the course of their history, especially recently. Belleville has a 5-3-0-0 record overall against Lehigh Valley, beating the Phantoms in both of their meetings last season, by a combined score of 8-2. Belleville’s record against the Phantoms at CAA Arena is 3-1-0-0, with a 2-2-0-0 mark at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA. After tonight, the Senators and Phantoms won’t clash again until March 11, 2023.

Roster Notes:

The Senators have added a couple of American Hockey League veterans to the roster this week, with six players still out due to injury. Forward Cole Cassels has re-joined the team on an AHL contract for the rest of this season, after starting the year in Sweden. The former Oshawa Generals standout, and OHL and Memorial Cup Champion, has played 55 games for Belleville between 2019 and 2021, with eight goals and 17 assists. The Sens have also added former AHL Rookie of the Year and MVP Cory Conacher on a professional tryout. It’s hoped that the Burlington, ON native, who has 330 points in 354 career AHL games, will be able to add some offensive punch, with players like Roby Jarventie (week-to-week, knee), Viktor Lodin (week-to-week, ankle), Phil Daoust (week-to-week, shoulder), and Jayce Hawryluk (week-to-week, wrist) all out of the lineup. Antoine Bibeau (week-to-week, groin) and Jonathan Aspirot (month-to-month, offseason shoulder surgery) are the other injured Senators, with Cedric Pare back healthy, but not in the lineup tonight. Defender Jacob Bernard-Docker was called up to Ottawa earlier today and will be replaced by Xavier Bernard, with Mads Sogaard starting in net.

Who to Watch:

While there have been some other Senators chipping in over the past few games, it’s hard to ignore the recent play of reigning MVP Jake Lucchini. The Trail, BC native’s 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in eight games played have him ranked among the top scorers in the American Hockey League. Lucchini is also riding a personal five-game point streak, the longest of his professional career, which has seen him score three goals and four assists, including goals in each of his last two games played. Lucchini has only been held pointless in one game this season.

For Lehigh Valley, 2020 first-round draft pick and 2022 World Junior Gold medalist Tyson Foerster has had a solid start to the season, notching five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games. In addition, Kingston Frontenacs graduate Zayde Wisdom will return north of the border after a stellar OHL career.

Follow the action:

Tonight’s game can be seen on AHL TV, or heard live on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network. Pregame coverage starts at 6:45 p.m. (ET) with David Foot and Joel Vanderlaan.

Ticket info:

Tickets for all Belleville Sens home games are available via Ticketmaster or at the CAA Arena Box Office, with more information on group experiences, promotional packs and more, available on the Belleville Sens website.

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