Playoff Game Day Build-Up: B-Sens in search of another home-ice win before North Semi-Finals shifts to Cleveland

Belleville Sens Game Day Build-Up
May.3/24 vs Cleveland Monsters (AHL Affiliate: Columbus Blue Jackets)
2024 Calder Cup Playoffs North Division Semi-Finals – Game 2 of 5 (Belleville leads 1-0)

The Set-Up:

With a Game One win under their belts and after taking advantage of starting the series on home ice, the Belleville Senators will continue their American Hockey League North Division Semi-Final with the Cleveland Monsters tonight, looking for one more critical win before the series shifts to Ohio. Egor Sokolov and Angus Crookshank led the offence on Wednesday night and Mads Sogaard was his steady self in goal, as the B-Sens edged the top-seeded Monsters 2-1 to draw first blood in the best-of-five series. Tonight, Belleville will look to stick to its playoff motto ofplaying “hard, heavy, fast hockey” and rely on its boisterous CAA Arena supporters for an extra boost, as it handles an expected pushback from a Cleveland team that’s now no-longer rusty, and ready to prove why it finished atop the North after 72 games.

Previous History:

Belleville’s Game One win was their second against Cleveland in five times out this season, after posting a regular season mark against the Monsters of 1-3-0-0. Belleville finished only six points back of Cleveland at the end of the regular season and the tightness in the standings was reflected in the opening match of the series, with both teams playing a close, physical, low-scoring game. Belleville’s regular season lifetime record against Cleveland is 12-14-0-2 and 7-5-0-2 at home.

Roster Notes:

Belleville may have to make one change to its lineup, after rookie forward Zack Ostapchuk left Game One with an injury in the first period. Should he not dress, it would leave room for one of Belleville’s extra healthy players to get some playoff action, so we could see any of Tarun Fizer, Kyle Betts, Jamieson Rees, Brennan Saulnier, Graham McPhee, or Oskar Pettersson draw in. Tomas Hamara and Ryan MacKinnon are Belleville’s extra blueliners. Full lineup details, including this afternoon’s alignment, will be available before puck drop via the B-Sens social media channels (@BellevilleSens).

Who to Watch:

After Belleville’s leading point-getter Garrett Pilon carried the load through Round One, the guy who finished right behind him in the team scoring race came to life to start Round Two. Angus Crookshank scored the game-winning goal on Wednesday, smashing a one-timer to score his first of the playoffs, while also recording a team-high four shots on goal. Egor Sokolov also notched his first of the playoffs in Game One of the series and had three shots on net.

Josh Dunne was the only Monsters player to find the net in the opening game of the series, getting a tight deflection to go up over the shoulder of Mads Sogaard, on the power play. The undrafted 25-year-old was pointless against Belleville in the regular season, but put up eight points (three goals, five assists) in seven games against the Senators in 2022-23.

At the rink:

CAA Arena gates will open at 5:30 p.m. for the duration of the B-Sens Calder Cup Playoff run and the first 1,500 fans in tonight will receive a free Calder Cup Playoffs second-round rally towel! Fans will also be able to get geared up for the playoffs with deals and discounts at The Locker Room Store including 25% off jerseys and customizations, long and short sleeve tees, hoodies, and team gear. The Locker Room Store is also offering a new Puck Pack for $15, which includes a Belleville Sens logo puck and a 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs logo puck. Plus, every fan who makes a purchase either in-store or online, will receive a free Belleville Sens flag.

Ticket info:

Tickets to Belleville Sens home games in the AHL North Division Semi-Finals are on sale now and can be purchased via Ticketmaster, or at the Belleville Sens Box Office at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre.

Belleville Sens Box Office Hours are as follows:

• Friday, May 3, 2024 – 12:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Belleville Sens Season Seat Members and Flex Pack holders can access playoff tickets now through their Belleville Sens Account Manager, while fans with further questions about playoff ticketing, or those looking for information on premium seating or group tickets, can also email tickets@bellevillesens.com.

Details on group tickets, 2024-25 season seat memberships or 2024-25 Business Elite memberships, are available via the Belleville Sens website, or by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com.

Follow the action:

Tonight’s game begins at 7:00 p.m. (ET) and can be seen on AHL TV, or heard free on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:45 p.m. (ET), with David Foot, Tim Durkin and Brock Ormond. Fans can also listen via TSN 1200 Radio, either in the Ottawa area or online, as they join coverage just ahead of puck drop.

About the Belleville Senators

The Belleville Senators are the American Hockey League affiliate of the National Hockey Leagues’ 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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