Game Day Build-Up: Sens look to begin 2023 with some revenge in Rochester

Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397
Jan.4/23 @ Rochester Americans (NHL Affiliate: Rochester Americans)

The Set-Up:

As the Belleville Senators open the 2023 portion of the schedule, they’ll hope the new year can lead to somewhat of a reset as they try to bounce back from a tough end to 2022. The Sens begin the new year on a four-game losing streak (0-3-1-0) and sit last in the AHL’s North Division but are just a point back of the playoff cut line of fifth place. Belleville is nine points back of tonight’s opponent, the second-place Rochester Americans, who have won six straight, including a 5-3 win against the Senators last week.

Previous History:

Tonight’s matchup is the fourth in the eight-game season series, with Belleville’s only win coming in a 3-2 victory at CAA Arena on November 12. The Amerks won the other two matchups by scores of 4-3 (OT) and 5-3 last Friday night. Belleville does have a winning record against Rochester lifetime, at 15-10-4-0 and 9-5-1-0 at the Blue Cross Arena.

Roster Notes:

Some defensive reinforcements have arrived from the NHL, with Ottawa reassigning Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jacob Larsson to the AHL over the past few days after returning captain Dillon Heatherington last week. Up front, the Senators have gained a forward with the return of Viktor Lodin but have lost three more to injury. Jayce Hawryluk is back on the shelf with a new ailment, while Brennan Saulnier and Matt Wedman were also hurt last weekend, leading the Sens to sign Chad Yetman to a professional tryout (PTO). The Sens have also recalled goaltender Kevin Mandolese from his loan to the Allen Americans of the ECHL. To make room for the additions, the Senators have released forward Cory Conacher from his PTO and sent defenceman Xavier Bernard to Allen. Defenders Alex Breton and Jack Dougherty are healthy scratches, with goaltender Antoine Bibeau also getting the weekend off.

Injury Report:

Who to Watch:

While you can’t ignore the recent performance of Ridly Greig, who has two goals in each of his last two games, Sens fans will be pleased to see forward Viktor Lodin return to the lineup. Lodin, who missed nine games due to injury, is hoped to add some more offensive punch to a Sens lineup that has been outscored 17-10 over the current losing streak. Jacob Bernard-Docker will also garner some attention in his return from the NHL, where he had one assist and a +1 rating, averaging about 17:00 minutes of ice time per game, over nine contests.

Brandon Biro continues to be red hot for Rochester, picking up points in his last seven games straight (four goals, nine assists). Amerks Captain Michael Mersch has scored in four straight games, including the game-winner against Belleville last weekend, and Lukas Rousek carries a three-game point streak (two goals, two assists), into tonight. In the crease, former Belleville Bulls standout Malcolm Subban has won five consecutive starts.

Follow the action:

Tonight’s game can be seen on AHL TV, or heard live on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network. Pregame coverage starts at 6:45 p.m. (ET) with David Foot.

Ticket info:

Tickets for all Belleville Sens home games are available via Ticketmaster or at the CAA Arena Box Office, with more information on group experiences, promotional packs and more available on the Belleville Sens website.

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