Game Day Build-Up: Senators at Crunch – January 17, 2022

Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397

The Set-Up:

After a pair of thrilling extra time wins over the Rochester Americans, the Belleville Senators will conclude their four-game road trip around Lake Ontario with a visit to Syracuse to face the Crunch, for a matinee affair on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States. Belleville showed a lot of grit and determination in Saturday’s 6-5 overtime win, after allowing a game-tying goal with three seconds left and Egor Sokolov would score the game-winner just 34 seconds into the extra frame. The win improved Belleville’s record on the season to 15-15-0-0 and puts the Sens in a position to achieve their goal of picking up at least six-of-eight points in the road swing. The Crunch, meanwhile, are coming off an overtime win of their own on Saturday night. Syracuse knocked off the Utica Comets on home ice and have put together a record of 6-3-1-0.

Previous History:

The Upstate Medical University Arena in Syracuse has been a tough spot for the Belleville Sens to visit throughout their franchise history. Their 3-2 win back on November 24, 2021 was just the Senators second ever win in Syracuse, with Belleville holding a 2-6-1-1 record on the road against the Crunch. The Senators overall record against Syracuse is 8-9-1-1. Today’s matchup is the second of eight between the two teams, with a couple of games that were postponed in December due to COVID-19, being rescheduled for later in the season.

Roster Notes:

Belleville Sens Head Coach Troy Mann won’t make any changes to the lineup from Saturday’s overtime win, other than in goal, where Mads Sogaard will come in for Filip Gustavsson. Xavier Bernard, Jack Dougherty (injured), Zach Leslie, Tyrell Goulbourne (personal), Kevin Mandolese (injured) and Hugo Roy are all scratched this afternoon.

‘Who to Watch:

Senators forward Egor Sokolov is heating up of late, notching five goals in his last four games, including the overtime winner on Saturday. Belleville’s leading scorer Jake Lucchini also has four points in his last five games, with four other Sens (Rourke Chartier, Cole Reinhardt, Parker Kelly and Jonathan Aspirot) registering points in back-to-back games.

Syracuse’s Charles Hudon is riding a five-game point streak (five goals, one assist) coming into Monday’s matchup. He also had two goals against Utica on Saturday, along with seven shots on goal. Three other members of the Crunch have points in back-to-back games, including former American Hockey League Rookie of the Year Alex Barre-Boulet.

Follow the action:

Today’s game starts at 1:00 p.m. ET and can be heard on the Belleville Sens official broadcast partner 800 AM CJBQ, with David Foot (Broadcast time is 12:50 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.

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