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Game Recap

Senators open Atlantic Division trip with loss to Thunderbirds

November 3, 2023

The Belleville Senators will have to wait another season before getting another chance at their first win in Springfield, following a 6-3 loss at MassMutual Center on Friday night.

The Senators scored the game’s first goal at 7:39 of the first period, courtesy of a double-tip on the power play by Angus Crookshank and Jiri Smejkal, with Smejkal getting credit for his first American Hockey League goal.

Springfield scored three straight to start the second, with Dylan Coghlan counting at 1:47, followed by Matthew Kessel’s shorthanded tally at 7:22, and Hugh McGing’s first of the season at 13:12. Belleville would tie the game through an Egor Sokolov power play marker at 15:44, then the game-tying goal from Garrett Pilon, with just under three seconds left in the frame.

But only the T-Birds would score in the third. Nathan Walker’s first of the game came on the power play at 9:15 and he’d count an empty net marker at 18:53. Will Bitten would also add an empty net tally, to make it 6-3.

Fast Facts:

  • #39 Jiri Smejkal scored his first American Hockey League Goal
  • #9 Angus Crookshank had one assist, and now has points in back-to-back games
  • #13 Egor Sokolov’s goal gives him points in back-to-back games
  • #15 Matthew Highmore had an assist against his former team, to stretch his point streak to four games (two goals, three assists)
  • #20 Philippe Daoust had an assist in his first game this season, after being recalled from the Allen Americans (ECHL) this morning
  • #21 Max Guenette is on a three-game point streak (five assists) and has had two assists in each of his last two games
  • #40 Mads Sogaard stopped 25 of 29 shots he faced

Sound Bytes:

Belleville Sens forward Jiri Smejkal on what made the difference in the loss:

“I think we were a little bit lucky that it was 3-3 after the second, especially in the second they were the better team. Then in the third, they had a lot of power plays and got going, and we kind of fell a little short.”

Media Availability: 

Highlights:

Next Up:

  • Saturday November 4, 2023 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins) – 6:05 p.m.
  • Wednesday November 8, 2023 vs Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning) – 7:00 p.m.
  • Friday November 10, 2023 vs Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets) – 7:00 p.m. (Military Appreciation Night)
  • Sunday November 12, 2023 vs Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets) – 2:00 p.m. (Sunday Funday)

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 membershipsflex packsgroup experiences or Business Elite memberships.

The full 2023-2024 Belleville Senators regular season schedule can be found by clicking here.

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