Game Day Build-Up: Senators at Bruins – December 10, 2021

Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397

The Set-Up:

The Belleville Senators are looking to reset and refocus, as they come off a week that saw them lose all three games (2-0 @ Utica, 3-1 vs Manitoba, 2-0 vs Manitoba) and embark on a four-game, nine-day road trip. The Sens kick off the trip in Providence tonight, against a Bruins team that has been battling COVID-19-related issues and hasn’t played since November 27.

Previous History:

The rivalry between the B-Sens and P-Bruins is a short one, with the two clubs meeting just six times in Belleville’s history. The Senators have a 3-2-0-1 lifetime record against Providence, with a 1-1-0-1 record at Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The last time Belleville and Providence faced each other was on October 27, 2019, when Belleville picked up a 4-3 win on the road.

Roster Notes:

Head Coach Troy Mann will shuffle the lines a little bit tonight, as Cedric Pare will move to the centre position and look to create some offence from the bottom half of the lineup. Phil Daoust will be a healthy scratch, as will Xavier Bernard, with Clark Bishop out as well. On the injury front, goaltender Mads Sogaard got banged up in practice the other day and is out as a precaution. Kevin Mandolese arrived in Providence from ECHL Atlanta yesterday and will back up Matt Murray tonight. Other injured players include Rourke Chartier and Jonathan Aspirot, who are back in Belleville and skating, while Mitchell Hoelscher is still hurt as well. Tyrell Goulbourne is still away from the team tending to some family matters.

Who to Watch:

Belleville’s key players need to break out of their current mini-slumps and will be worth keeping an eye on tonight. Jake Lucchini, Mark Kastelic, Egor Sokolov and Roby Jarventie were all held pointless last week, while Chris Wilkie and Andrew Agozzino haven’t registered a point in their last two games played. On the blue line, Lassi Thomson is back in the lineup after playing 11 NHL games in Ottawa.

For Providence, co-leading scorer Steven Fogarty is one of a handful of players still in the AHL’s COVID-19 protocol, so his co-leader Oskar Steen will be relied upon offensively as he returns from an NHL stint in Boston. Another name Belleville Sens fans may be familiar with is defenceman Matt Murphy, if he ends up dressing. Murphy was in Belleville’s training camp and played five games for the Sens this season, before being sent back to the ECHL.

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:

Single game tickets for the 2021-22 Belleville Senators season are now on sale and can be purchased via Ticketmaster, by stopping by the CAA Arena Box Office. Season Ticket Memberships and Flex Packs are also available with more information available at bellevillesens.com.