Game Day Build-Up: Sens look to spoil Teddy Bear Toss at Place Bell

Dec.10/22 @ Laval Rocket (NHL Affiliate: Montreal Canadiens)

Presented by Carpenters Union Local 397

The Set-Up:

The Belleville Senators will be looking for a repeat performance tonight and have a chance to “sweep the week”, as they wrap up their weekend set in Laval this afternoon. Rourke Chartier scored Belleville’s only goal and Mads Sogaard made 32 saves, plus stopped all three Rocket shooters in the shoutout, as Belleville picked up a 2-1 win on Friday. The victory gives Belleville four-of-six possible points so far on the week, while stretching Laval’s losing streak to three games and giving the Sens a bit more cushion in the AHL North Division standings.

Previous History:

Last night’s win gives Belleville a 5-1-0-0 record against Laval this season and improves their lifetime mark against the Rocket to 34-25-1-2. Belleville also evens its lifetime record at Place Bell to 15-15-1-0, as the Sens improved to a perfect 3-0-0-0 in Laval this season.

Roster Notes:

The only change for Belleville this afternoon is in the crease, where Antoine Bibeau will replace Mads Sogaard. The Great Dane will back up Bibeau again today, following his solid return to the net last night. Defenceman Nick Albano and forward Matt Wedman are Belleville’s healthy scratches today, with no new names added to the injured list, following Friday’s contest.

Injury Report:

Who to Watch:

After a defensive battle on Friday, there will likely be lots of attention focused on both creases tonight, but for different reasons.

Fans will be watching the Belleville net to see if Antoine Bibeau can continue his solid run of play. The veteran netminder has won three of his last four starts, making a total of 143 saves over that span, which included a 49 save performance at home against the Rocket on November 26.

For the Rocket, rookie netminder Joe Vrbetic will make his first career American Hockey League start, after making a relief appearance in Abbotsford last weekend, playing 14 minutes and allowing one goal on just three shots. The 20-year-old from Hamilton, Ontario, who was drafted by Montreal in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft, has a 6-4-0 record with a 3.53 GAA and .881 save percentage in 10 games with the Rocket’s ECHL affiliate in Trois-Rivieres this season.

Follow the action:

Today’s game can be seen on AHL TV, or heard live on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network. Pregame coverage starts at 2:45 p.m. (ET) with David Foot and Alex Siragusa.

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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