Game Day Build-Up: Senators face must-win games in Laval as regular season winds down

Belleville Senators Game Day Build-Up
Apr.16/25 @ Laval Rocket (NHL Affiliate: Montreal Canadiens)

The Set Up:

There are just three games left for the Belleville Senators to qualify for a coveted North Division Calder Cup Playoff spot, and with each team in the North having the same amount of contests remaining, the math gets easier for the Sens, but the task does not. The Senators need at least four points over their final three games against the freshly-minted North Division Champion Laval Rocket to draw even with the Toronto Marlies for the division’s final berth – if the Marlies lose all three of their remaining contests. If Toronto collects one point, Belleville needs five, and if the Marlies earn two points, the Senators will need to win out. But the math only matters if Belleville can continue to take care of its business and extend a three-game point streak that included road wins last week in Rochester and Springfield and an overtime loss in Providence. They’ll look to do that against a Rocket team that has already clinched the division crown but has sights set on an American Hockey League regular season title as well.

Previous History:

This is the eight of 10 meetings between the Sens and Rocket this season with the teams trading wins back and forth and Belleville holding a record of 3-3-1-0 (1-2-0-0 in Laval) heading into tonight’s game at Place Bell. It’s the first time the teams have met since early March, when Laval picked up a 4-1 home ice win. Tonight’s matchup is the 89th lifetime between Belleville and Laval since the teams joined the AHL together in 2017/18, with Belleville holding a record of 47-35-2-4, and 22-21-1-0 at Place Bell.

Roster Notes: 

As the NHL parent club in Ottawa prepares for its first Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance in eight years, there’s been no movement on the Top Pick Painters Transaction Report. Forwards Angus Crookshank and Hayden Hodgson remain with the NHL Senators, though Hodgson was recently injured and is listed week-to-week. The injured list remains the same in Belleville and includes goaltender Mads Sogaard, forward Zack MacEwen, and defenceman Max Guenette. You can click here for a full list of up-to-date transactions, with full lineup details ahead of game time via the Belleville Sens social channels (@BellevilleSens).

Who to Watch:

Senators Captain Garrett Pilon has been leading the playoff push through his emotion and solid play. The second-year Senator and first-year Sens captain has recorded five points (one goal, four assists) over a current three-game point streak and is a goal away from setting a new career highg (19). Pilon has already bested his AHL career mark for assists of 29 and is two points shy of tying his AHL career high in points of 47, both records which were set last year. Forwards Xavier Bourgault (one goal, two assits) and Phil Daoust (one goal, one assist) each have points in back-to-back games, while Wyatt Bongiovanni scored twice in Belleville’s overtime loss last Saturday in Providence.

Rocket power forward Jared Davidson has collected six points (three goals, three assists) over a current five-game point streak. The 22-year-old from Edmonton, Alberta, a former fifth-round draft pick to Montreal in 2022, has 42 points (24 goals, 18 assists) this season and is among Laval’s top scorers. He also has four points (three goals, one assist) in five games against Belleville this season. Forward Filip Mesar is on a three-game point streak 9one goal, three assists), while captain Lucas Condotta (one goal, one assist) has points in back-to-back games.

Follow the Action:

Puck drop tonight is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. Broadcast coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. ET with David Foot and can be seen on AHLTV on FloHockey or heard free on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network.

Ticket Info:

Tickets for the final Belleville Sens home game of the season, on Saturday April 19, 2025 against the Laval Rocket, are available via Ticketmaster, or by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com. Hours for the Belleville Sens Box Office at CAA Arena are available here.

2025-26 Season Seat Memberships are on sale now by contacting the Belleville Sens office at 613-967-8067, emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com, or visiting the Belleville Sens website.  Fans who renew or purchase a season seat membership before May 2 are entered into our ’26 Days of Gifting’ contest, with daily draws for great prizes. Plus, all new and renewed season seat members will have a chance to ‘Shoot to Win’ $1,000 off their seats at a special event on May 15, 2025.

About the Belleville Senators

The Belleville Senators are the American Hockey League affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators and have been operating in the AHL since the 2017-18 season. The Senators play their home games out of the CAA Arena at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre and have graduated more than 60 players to the NHL since moving from Binghamton, New York.

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