game day Share this Game Day Build-Up: B-Sens in search of scoring as they wrap two-game set in Laval March 30, 2024 Belleville Sens Game Day Build-Up Mar.30/24 @ Laval Rocket (NHL Affiliate: Montreal Canadiens) The Set-Up/Playoff Picture: As the Belleville Sens offence continues to churn, pumping out 156 shots over their last five games, scoring has been a struggle. And that’s something the Sens will have to overcome this afternoon, as they face the Laval Rocket again with another critical pair of standings points on the line. The Senators now trail Laval by four points for the final playoff spot in the North Division, after the Rocket’s 2-1 win at Place Bell on Friday, when Egor Sokolov’s goal and 37 shots weren’t enough. And with just nine games left in the regular season, Belleville can’t afford to let too many more points slip away, so they’ll need to find a way to light the lamp in Laval today, even while missing some of their top-scoring threats. The full playoff picture can be found via the American Hockey League’s Playoff Primer. Previous History: Belleville’s loss on Friday was their fifth straight against the Rocket, with their record on the season against Laval dropping to 3-5-1-0 and 1-3-0-0 at Place Bell. The Senators still hold a winning record against the Rocket lifetime, at 41-32-2-3, but are now 18-19-1-0 on the road against the Rocket. Belleville and Laval have two more games to play in their season series, when they finish the regular season with a home-and-home set, on April 19 at CAA Arena and April 20 at Place Bell. Roster Notes: There were no transactions between Belleville, Ottawa and/or Allen overnight. The Senators will remain without Angus Crookshank and Tyler Kleven, who were recently recalled to NHL Ottawa. A complete list of recent transactions can be found here. Full lineup details, including tonight’s alignment, will be available prior to puck drop via the B-Sens social media channels (@BellevilleSens). Who to Watch: Egor Sokolov has been piling on the shots of late and was the only Senator to solve Jakub Dobes on Friday night. Sokolov had eight shots on net yesterday, one of which ended up being his 18th goal of the season, and has put 22 shots on net over his last four games. Meanwhile, defender Lassi Thomson, who had four shots last night, will become Belleville’s all-time leader in goals by a defenceman the next time he scores. Fans will also likely be keeping an eye on rookie forward Stephen Halliday, who had a shot on net in his AHL debut on Friday and played time in various situations including the power play. Laval’s leading scorer struck again on Friday, with Brandon Gignac notching his 19th goal and 55th point of the season. It was also Gignac’s ninth point against Belleville (five goals, four assists) in nine games this season. Defender Logan Mailloux continues to be among the league leaders in a handful of categories including, rookie points (9th), rookie assists (5th), rookie penalty minutes (87), rookie minor penalties (31), defensive points (3rd), defensive goals (14th), and defensive minor penalties (3rd). He had an assist and four penalty minutes on Friday night. Ticket info: Tickets for 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: Today’s game starts at 3:00 p.m. (ET) and can be seen on AHL TV, or heard on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network. Pregame coverage on both platforms begins from Place Bell, in Laval, Quebec, at 2:50 p.m. (ET) with David Foot. 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
