game day Share this Game Day Build-Up: B-Sens begin home ice three-in-three by welcoming rival Rocket March 22, 2024 Belleville Sens Game Day Build-Up Mar.22/24 vs Laval Rocket (NHL Affiliate: Montreal Canadiens) The Set-Up: It’s been just about two months since the Belleville Senators and Laval Rocket last got together, meeting for a back-to-back home-and-home series in mid-January. But the two North Division rivals will get acquainted again real fast as they’re set to meet four times in Belleville’s next five games, beginning tonight and tomorrow at CAA Arena. The Senators have been holding onto the fourth spot in the North Division and are tied on points with fifth-place Toronto, coming off a pair of home wins and a road loss this week. The Rocket, meanwhile, have been in and out of the Calder Cup Playoff picture and enter action this weekend in sixth place, three points back of the cut line. The tight standings set up a critical three-in-three on home ice for the Senators this weekend starting with this pair of games against Laval and a meeting with Hartford on Sunday afternoon. Previous History: This is the 76th all-time meeting between Belleville and Laval, with the Senators and Rocket splitting the first six games of their 12-game series thus far. Each team has earned three wins and three losses, with Belleville 2-1-0-0 at home against Laval this season and 1-2-0-0 at Place Bell. Lifetime against the Rocket, the Senators have a record of 41-30-1-3 with a mark of 23-12-0-3 on home ice. Roster Notes: Belleville forward Angus Crookshank was recalled from Ottawa as a precaution last night, with NHL Sens forward Claude Giroux listed as a game-time decision, but eventually playing in their loss at home to the St. Louis Blues. Ottawa announced this morning that Crookshank will remain with the NHL, while forward Zack Ostapchuk has been returned to Belleville, after getting his first NHL recall. He’s expected to be in the lineup against the Rocket tonight, as is forward Jiri Smejkal, who’s ready for action after a brief injury break, according to Head Coach Dave Bell. Full lineup details, including tonight’s alignment, will be available prior to puck drop. Who to Watch: While forwards Josh Currie (six games), Egor Sokolov (five games), and Garrett Pilon (three games) all carry significant point streaks into tonight’s game, fans will likely have an eye on Zack Ostapchuk, who is set to return from his first NHL recall. The 20-year-old from St. Alberta, Alberta got into six games for Ottawa between March 12 and March 21, logging five shots on goal, and averaging about 10 minutes of ice time per game. With Belleville this season, the rookie forward has picked up 22 points (13 goals, nine assists) in 56 AHL games. There’s a lot of attention on an American Hockey League debutant on the blueline for the Rocket tonight. 19-year-old David Reinbacher, Montreal’s fifth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, has been assigned to Laval after finishing his pro season with EHC Kloten in Switzerland. Reinbacher has represented his home country of Austria twice at the World Junior Hockey Championship and once at the World Hockey Championship as well. At the rink: It’s Oral Health Awareness Night at CAA Arena, in partnership with Gift from the Heart, a Canadian, non-profit charity finding solutions to accessing emergency and preventative oral healthcare for the underserved members of the Bay of Quinte community. As part of the evening, Gift from the Heart will be offering tours of its Outreach Mobile Dental Clinic outside of Gate 4. Plus, Gift from the Heart will be giving away free toothbrushes to young Senators fans, while also providing more information about their programs and services. Fans can take advantage of this weekend’s merchandise promo in the Locker Room Store, which is 30% off all headwear. Members of the B-Sens staff will also be gifting random fans with $5 off coupons to the Locker Room Store tonight. Ticket info: Tickets for Oral Health Awareness Night, sponsored by Gift from the Heart and all Belleville Sens home games for the remainder of the 2023-24 season are now on sale online, via Ticketmaster or the Belleville Sens Ticket Hub, by visiting the Belleville Sens Box Office at the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre, or by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com. Box Office hours are available by clicking here. Fans can also click the following links for more information on season seat memberships, flex packs, group experiences or Business Elite memberships, or send an email to tickets@bellevillesens.com. Follow the action: Tonight’s game starts at 7:00 p.m. (ET) and can be seen on AHL TV and heard on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network. Pregame coverage from CAA Arena, in Belleville, Ontario, begins at 6:50 p.m. (ET) with David Foot and Brock Ormond. The full 2023-24 Belleville Senators regular season schedule can be found by clicking here. — Visit the Belleville Sens website: www.bellevillesens.com Engage with the Belleville Sens on X: @BellevilleSens Like the Belleville Sens on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BellevilleSens Follow the Belleville Sens on Instagram: @BellevilleSens
