Game Day Build-Up: Senators at Wolf Pack – April 1, 2022

Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397

The Set-Up:

It might be April Fools’ Day but the Belleville Senators matchup with the Wolf Pack in Hartford tonight is no joke. Belleville returns to the ice from a rare five-day break and kicks off a four-game road trip, looking to get back into the North Division playoff picture once again after falling back to sixth place through the week. Despite dropping out of playoff contention for the time being, the Senators have been putting up consistent results, earning points in 11 of their last 15 games played. Belleville’s last game was a come-from-behind 3-2 shootout win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last Saturday. The Wolf Pack are currently sitting comfortably in fifth place in the Atlantic Division but have only won twice in their last 10 games played, most recently dropping a 5-1 decision against the Penguins, in Wilkes-Barre, this past Wednesday.

Previous History:

The Senators and Wolf Pack are halfway through their four-game season series, with each team picking up a win in the other’s home rink. Belleville won 3-2 in overtime at XL Center on March 2, thanks to a game winning goal from Rourke Chartier, while Hartford picked up a 5-2 decision at CAA Arena, on March 19. Lifetime against the Wolf Pack, the Senators are 6-2-0-0, with a perfect 4-0-0-0 record on the road in Hartford.

Roster Notes:

Head Coach Troy Mann will keep the same 12 forwards as he has for the past few games, though he plans on mixing up some of the line combinations to try and find more offence. On the backend, Lassi Thomson returns from an eight game injury layoff, while Filip Gustavsson will start in net, after being returned from the NHL Senators on Sunday.

Who to Watch:

Senators forward Parker Kelly helped to spark the comeback against the Phantoms last weekend, scoring his fifth goal of the season and giving him points in back-to-back games. Jake Lucchini snapped a four-game pointless drought with two points on Saturday (one goal, one assist), including the game-tying goal. Fellow forward Zach Senyshyn also notched his first point as a member of the Belleville Sens, with an assist against the Phantoms and will look to try and find his scoring touch on this four-game road swing.

Even though they’ve failed to pick up wins consistently lately, the Wolf Pack have had lots of offensive help from defenceman Zac Jones, who has points in five straight games (one goal, four assists), while Anthony Greco is on a three-game point streak (three goals, two assists) and Patrick Khodorenko has points in back-to-back games (two assists).

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.

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