Game Day Build-Up: Senators at Thunderbirds – April 3, 2022

Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397

The Set-Up:

A busy three-in-three weekend concludes this afternoon for the Belleville Senators as they play the second half of a back-to-back in Springfield, against the Thunderbirds. The Atlantic Division leaders edged the Sens 4-3 in overtime on Saturday, despite goals from Clark Bishop, Roby Jarventie and Jake Lucchini, for Belleville. Michael McNiven took the loss for Belleville, in his Senators debut, despite a strong performance that saw him stop 31 of 35 shots. The good news for Belleville Sens is that even with the loss, they still sit fourth in the North Division standings and are in a playoff spot. Belleville also has a steady record in the second half of back-to-backs, at 7-3-0-0.

Previous History:

Today’s matchup at MassMutal Center is the fourth and final meeting between the Belleville Sens and T-Birds, with Belleville’s record in the season series at 1-1-1-0, after they split a two-game set at CAA Arena earlier this year. The Senators are still looking for their first win in Springfield, as they have an 0-2-1-0 record here.

Roster Notes:

Belleville Head Coach Troy Mann will go back to using 12 forwards and six defencemen this afternoon, with Matt Wedman drawing back in up front and Max Guenette taking another afternoon off. Filip Gustavsson will make his second start of the weekend, after earning the win in Hartford on Friday. There are no other changes expected to the Belleville lineup this afternoon.

Who to Watch:

Belleville Captain Logan Shaw is playing in his 300^th career American Hockey League game this afternoon. The Nova Scotia native has amassed 149 points over that span (77 goals, 72 assists), along with 127 penalty minutes. Over the course of his eight-year AHL career, Shaw has spent time with six different teams including San Antonio, Portland, Springfield, San Diego, Manitoba and Belleville.

Thunderbirds forward Dakota Joshua extended his point streak to five games with a goal last night. Springfield Captain Tommy Cross also made an impact last night, putting up a goal and two assists, including the game-winner and snapped a nine-game pointless streak in the process.

Follow the action:

Today’s game starts at 2:05 p.m. ET and can be heard on the Belleville Sens Official Broadcast Partner 800 AM CJBQ, with David Foot (Broadcast time is 1:50 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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