Game Day Build-Up: Sens and Crunch renew hostilities as Belleville begins three-game homestand

Belleville Senators Game Day Build-Up
Dec.11/24 vs Syracuse Crunch (NHL affiliate: Tampa Bay Lightning)

The Set Up:

With eight points in the bag following a stretch of five straight road games, the Belleville Senators return to CAA Arena tonight against the Syracuse Crunch, beginning a run of six of eight games on home ice to finish the calendar year. Belleville has been buzzing since a mid-week defeat to tonight’s opponent two weeks ago in Syracuse. Since their 7-1 defeat that night, the Senators have gone on to win four straight games, outscoring their opponents 15-8 and coming back from at least a two-goal deficit to win in three consecutive games. The only problem is that the rest of the North Division has also been picking up points, leaving Belleville still in the middle of the pack, but only six points from first place with four games in hand and plenty of runway left in the season. The Crunch have also earned points in four straight games, but have lost three of them, with all of those games going to overtime. Syracuse though, is coming off a shootout win in Cleveland last Sunday and sits just two points behind Belleville in the North standings.

Previous History:

 We’re not even halfway through the 2024-25 regular season, but the Senators and Crunch have already become familiar foes. Tonight’s matchup will be the sixth of the season between the North Division rivals, leaving just two more meetings to come in this campaign—both in January and April 2025. This season, the Sens are 1-3-0-1 against Syracuse, with both home meetings ending in regulation losses. Lifetime against Syracuse, Belleville is 21-19-2-3, with a 14-8-0-0 record at CAA Arena.

Roster Notes:

Belleville’s lineup has been bolstered a bit by the parent club heading into this week, with forward Cole Reinhardt returning from the National Hockey League. Reinhardt, who’s among Belleville’s scoring leaders this season, has missed the last five games due to recall and has picked up a goal and an assist in five games with the Ottawa Senators this season. Defenceman Nikolas Matinpalo has been back and forth from Ottawa despite not playing but was returned to Belleville this morning and is expected in the lineup tonight. On the injury front, Jamieson Rees was added to the injured list and joined goaltender Mads Sogaard, along with forwards Jan Jenik and Hayden Hodgson, though Jenik and Sogaard are not thought to be too far off from   A full list of up-to-date transactions can be found by clicking here, with full lineup details available via the B-Sens social channels (@bellevillesens) before the game.

Who to Watch:

While technically still a rookie due to his number of games played, second-year forward Stephen Halliday has been a picture of consistency for Belleville of late, picking up points in five consecutive games (two goals, three assists), plus had the shootout winner in Winnipeg last Sunday. Forward Wyatt Bongiovanni, who scored the game-tying goal against his former team in Winnipeg last weekend, has points in four straight games (three goals, two assists) and the Senators are 4-0-0-0 when he scores, and 6-0-0-0 when he has a point. Defender Jeremy Davies has collected points in three consecutive games (four assists).

On the Crunch side, a rookie and a veteran are both riding four-game point streaks. Defender Derrick Pouliot, who has more than 200 NHL games and a Stanley Cup Championship on his resume has picked up six points (two goals, four assists) over that stretch, while rookie forward Niko Huuhtanen has five points (one goal, four assists). Rookie forward Dylan Duke is on a three-game point streak (three goals, one assist), with all three of those players also among the top Syracuse point-getters against Belleville this season.

At the Rink:

It’s Food Drive Night at CAA Arena, supporting the Gleaners Food Bank and Tri-County Food Warehouse. Fans can drop off non-perishable food items, or cash donations, at the CAA Arena gates on their way in. All fans who donate will receive a voucher for a free scone, courtesy of COBS Bread at 305 North Front Street in Belleville. Brian Decaire from 800 CJBQ will also be live on location, outside of Gate 1 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., drumming up support and spreading the holiday cheer.

Follow the Action:

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

Ticket Info:

Tickets for all remaining 2024-25 Belleville Sens home games are now on sale via Ticketmaster, or by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com. Hours for the Belleville Sens Box Office at CAA Arena are available here.

Fans looking to get a head start on locking up tickets for any game on the schedule can do so now by becoming a season seat member, purchasing a flex pack membership, or by booking a group experience.

More information on those ticket options, plus details on premium seating and Business Elite packages is available by visiting the Belleville Sens website or emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com.

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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