Game Day Build-Up: Senators begin the week with first trip this season to Laval

Belleville Sens Game Day Build-Up
Nov.15/23 vs Laval Rocket (NHL Affiliate: Montreal Canadiens)                  

The Set-Up:

Another three-game week begins tonight for the Belleville Senators, but just one matchup will have divisional implications. The Senators visit the Laval Rocket at Place Bell this evening, looking to continue the momentum from their three-game homestand, against their only divisional opponent this week. Belleville took two-of-three wins last week, against Syracuse and Cleveland, and find themselves in the middle of the pack in the North Division through 11 games. The Rocket have fizzled from the start, skating to just a 4-7-1-0 record through 12 games, but have won three-of-four games recently, after earning just one victory over their first eight contests.

Previous History:

Tonight’s game is the second of 12 meetings between the Sens and Rocket in 2023-24, with Belleville holding a 1-0-0-0 record on the season. That’s after the Senators picked up a 5-4 win at CAA Arena during their home opener. Lifetime against the Rocket, the Sens are 39-27-1-2, with a 17-16-1-0 mark in Laval. The record at Place Bell has drastically improved from the first couple seasons of the Senators tenure in Belleville, as they’ve got a mark of 13-9-0-0 at Place Bell over the last five years.

Roster Notes:

The Ottawa Senators made two recalls from Belleville before heading to Sweden for the NHL Global Series, where they’ll play a pair of games against the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild. Defenceman Jacob Larsson, a native of Sweden, was recalled for support on the blue line, while goaltender Mads Sogaard also made the trip overseas, being recalled under the NHL’s “Third Goaltender Exempt Status” for games being played internationally. With Sogaard gone to the NHL, Kevin Mandolese has been reassigned from Allen (ECHL) to Belleville. The Sens will be without Tarun Fizer, Tyler Boucher, Philippe Daoust, Brennan Saulnier and Donovan Sebrango, who are all out injured. Full lineup details will be available before puck drop.

Who to Watch:

Belleville defenceman Max Guenette had an impressive week last week, recording four more points (one goal, three assists) and moving into the Sens team lead in scoring. There are no Senators on significant point streaks, but Egor Sokolov and Angus Crookshank, each had a goal and an assist in Belleville’s overtime win against Cleveland last Sunday. Should he play tonight, Goaltender Leevi Merilainen will also be a source of focus, as he brings the AHL’s second-best save percentage (.941)  and eighth-best goals against average (1.92) into tonight’s game.

For Laval, Xavier Simoneau is riding a four-game point streak (two goals, three assists) heading into tonight’s contest. The 22-year-old is among the Rocket’s top scorers. Meanwhile, rookie forward Joshua Roy has had a sensational start to his AHL career, putting up 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 12 games and sitting tied for third in the AHL’s overall scoring race.

Follow the action:

Today’s game can be seen on AHL TV and heard on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network. pregame coverage from Place Bell in Laval, QC, begins at 6:50 p.m. (ET) with David Foot.

Ticket info:

Tickets for all Belleville Sens home games through January 20, 2024, are now on sale online via the Belleville Sens Ticket Hub, or by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com. Tickets for the second half of the season will be available for purchase beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 20, 2023, with information on hours for the Belleville Sens Box Office at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre, to be released later. 

Fans looking to buy second-half tickets can secure those seats now, by purchasing season seat memberships, flex packs,  group experiences or Business Elite memberships. Further information on the Belleville Sens promotional schedule, special events and more are set to be released in the coming weeks. 

The full 2023-24 Belleville Senators regular season schedule can be found by clicking here.

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