game day Share this Game Day Build-Up: Senators at Marlies – April 24, 2022 April 24, 2022 Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397 The Set-Up: Following their 6-0 defeat to the Crunch in Syracuse on Friday night, the Belleville Senators will get another shot at clinching a berth in the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs, as they play their penultimate game of the regular season this afternoon against the Toronto Marlies. According to the American Hockey League’s Playoff Primer, the Senators will earn their first playoff appearance today with: a win in regulation time at Toronto a Rochester loss at Cleveland, OR an overtime loss or shootout loss at Toronto AND a Rochester overtime loss or shootout loss at Cleveland Belleville’s loss on Friday also snapped a season-high five game winning streak, so the Sens will be looking to start fresh as we hit the final two games of the season. The Marlies, meanwhile, kept their playoff hopes alive by beating Laval 5-1 on Friday and will be trying to get back at the Senators for their 5-4 comeback win at CAA Arena earlier this week, while also trying to hold on to the final playoff spot in the North Division. Previous History: Along with being the second-last game of the regular season, today’s matchup is also the second last in the 12-game season series between the B-Sens and Marlies. Belleville is 4-6-0-0 against Toronto this season with identical records of 2-3-0-0 at home and away. In their last visit to Coca-Cola Coliseum, on February 19, 2022, Egor Sokolov had the game-winning goal in a 5-4 overtime victory, while Kevin Mandolese made 36 saves on 40 shots. Lifetime against the Marlies, the Senators are 26-22-2-2, with an impressive 15-8-2-1 mark in Toronto. Roster Notes: Following their win over the Montreal Canadiens last night, the Ottawa Senators have returned forwards Mark Kastelic and Scott Sabourin, as well as goaltender Filip Gustavsson to Belleville. Gustavsson will start this afternoon, with Mads Sogaard dealing with a nagging injury that Head Coach Troy Mann says will likely keep him out for about a week. Dillon Heatherington is also out this afternoon dealing with a non-COVID illness. Maxence Guenette will return to the lineup in his place. Full lineup details will be available at the start of warm-up, approximately 3:30 p.m. ET. Who to Watch: Egor Sokolov has been the most impactful Senators against the Marlies this season, tallying eight points (four goals, four assists) in nine games. Defenceman Lassi Thomson has also been impressive against Toronto, notching seven points (two goals, five assists) in five games played, while Andrew Agozzino, who’s playing in his 600th American Hockey League game today, has six points (three goals, three assists) in 10 games against the Marlies this season. The Marlies have been paced recently by 2019 2nd round pick Nick Robertson, has put up 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) as part of an eight-game point streak. The native of Arcadia, California, had a goal and an assist with three shots on goal during Toronto’s Friday win at Laval, and also had a pair of goals in the loss to Belleville last week. Follow the action: Tonight’s game starts at 4:00 p.m. ET and can be heard on the Belleville Sens Official Broadcast Partner 800 AM CJBQ, with David Foot (Broadcast time is 3:50 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. — Visit the Belleville Sens website: www.bellevillesens.com Engage with the Belleville Sens on Twitter: @BellevilleSens Like the Belleville Sens on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BellevilleSens Follow the Belleville Sens on Instagram: @BellevilleSens
