Game Day Build-Up: Senators vs Phantoms – March 26, 2022

Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397

The Set-Up:

The Belleville Senators will look to bounce back from a disappointing Friday night loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (3-1), as they welcome another Pennsylvania-based opponent to CAA Arena tonight. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers) visit the Friendly City to wrap up a two-game season series, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. The Senators loss on Friday keeps them in sixth place in the American Hockey League’s North Division standings and puts adds more pressure as the tightly contested race for one of five playoff spots in the division continues. The Phantoms, meanwhile, sit last in the Atlantic Division and are coming off back-to-back 5-1 losses on the road, to the Hershey Bears and Laval Rocket.

Previous History:

Tonight’s game is just the eight ever meeting between the Senators and Phantoms, and the second this season. Belleville blanked Lehigh Valley 5-0 in Allentown, back on February 8, 2022 and hold a 4-3-0-0 lifetime record against the Phantoms. At CAA Arena, the Senators have a 2-1-0-0 advantage over the Phantoms, with an even 2-2-0-0 mark lifetime at the PPL Center.

Roster Notes:

Head Coach Troy Mann is making just one change to his lineup from Friday night’s loss. Max Guenette will draw back in on the blue line, in favour of Jack Dougherty. Otherwise, Mann will just shuffle his lines as he looks to create more chemistry and offence. Belleville’s other scratches tonight include Xavier Bernard, Rourke Chartier (IR), Chris Wilkie, Cedrid Pare, Kevin Mandolese (IR), Lassi Thomson, and Paul McAvoy, who just signed an amateur tryout offer with Belleville from Colgate University (NCAA).

Who to Watch:

No Senators are carrying point streaks into tonight’s game but, on the Senators blue line, rookie defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker tied a season-high last night with three shots. Belleville captain Logan Shaw scored the game’s only goal on Friday, while Parker Kelly and Cole Reinhardt added assists.

The Phantoms have been led offensively lately by Adam Johnson, who was acquired in a trade with the Ontario Reign in mid-February, as he’s riding a four-game point streak (one goal, four assists). Lehigh Valley’s other significant addition is defender Brennan Mennell, who was picked up from Toronto by the parent Flyers at the NHL trade deadline. The 24 year-old, Minnesota-native has 121 points (16 goals, 105 assists) in 219 career American Hockey League games.

Follow the action:

Tonight’s game starts at 7:00 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:

CAA Arena is back to 100% capacity, with no vaccine mandate in place. Other local and provincial COVID-19 guidelines must still be followed, including the wearing of masks inside CAA Arena, unless actively eating or drinking. Tickets for tonight’s game are available via Ticketmaster or the CAA Arena Box Office (open today 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.).

Tickets for further Belleville Sens home games this season can be purchased through the same methods. Season Ticket Memberships and Flex Packs are also available with more information available at bellevillesens.com.

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