Senators stomp Islanders again to keep pace with Crunch in playoff race

The Belleville Senators went back-to-back against Bridgeport, repeating their Friday night performance with another 6-1 win over the Bridgeport Islanders (AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders) on Saturday at CAA Arena.

After a bit of a Bridgeport push to start the game and another trio of penalty kills, the Senators picked up right where they left off on Friday night. Max Guenette opened the scoring at 17:08 by snapping a wrist shot past Henrik Tikkanen for his second goal in as many nights. Jan Jenik, who had five assists on Friday, scored following a sweet feed from Wyatte Wylie about a minute and a half later to take it 2-0 Belleville after 20 mins.

The offence continued for the Senators early in the second period as Angus Crookshank counted on the power play for his 76th career goal, tying him atop the Belleville Sens all-time goals list with former Senator Egor Sokolov. Defenceman Jeremy Davies tallied for the second night in a row at 10:51, extending the lead to 4-0, after Jenik hit him with a long pass as he was leaving the penalty box. Belleville outshot Bridgeport 26-21 after two periods.

And Belleville would add two more goals in the third. One from Wyatte Wylie at 8:08 and the other from Xavier Bourgault at 15:44. Islanders forward Tyce Thompson would spoil Subban’s shutout effort by squeezing a shot past Subban at 15:27.

The Senators continue their run of home games and will play a three-in-three next weekend, hosting the Toronto Marlies (AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs) next Friday night, visiting the Marlies the following afternoon, and returning to face the Cleveland Monsters (AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets) next Sunday afternoon for the club’s first Next Gen Game.

As was the case on Friday, the Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning) also won, keeping Belleville two points behind them for the final playoff spot in the North Division. Though, the Senators do hold one game in-hand and the two teams still have to face off against each other one more time this season.

You can see the complete box score by clicking here.

Fast Facts:

• #4 Jeremy Davies scored on back-to-back nights (his 11th of the season) and also had an assist. He was named the second star of the game.
• #9 Angus Crookshank scored his 21st goal of the season and 76th of his career, to tie Egor Sokolov atop the Belleville Sens all-time goals list. Crookshank’s goal was his second in as many nights.
• #13 Xavier Bourgault scored on consecutive nights, netting his eighth of the season tonight.
• #14 Tristen Robins picked up another assist, giving him helpers on back-to-back nights.
• #17 Zack MacEwan had an assist, giving him three over his last two games.
• #21 Max Guenette scored for the second consecutive game, notching his ninth goal of the season.
• #24 Jan Jenik had three more points, including a pair of assists and his ninth goal of the campaign. He was named the game’s third star.
• #34 Stephen Halliday added two more assists to pad his team points lead.
• #30 Malcolm Subban stopped 30/31 shots and was named the game’s first star.
• #38 Wyatte Wylie scored his third goal of the season and had two assists.

Sound Bytes:

Jan Jenik on his eight-point weekend:

“I would say I’m trying to play the right way, sticking to details, and honestly just lucky to be there – and the guys always put it in.”

Jenik on the 12-for-12 penalty kill over the weekend:

“I think we stuck with that and did a great job. We’ve been working on it and I’m just glad it’s working out for us; we’ve got to keep going with that.”

Malcolm Subban on the team’s defensive effort:

“When they got some really good chances, especially going east-west, we were able to break up plays, and get a lot of timely blocks, both quantity and quality blocks, so that always goes a long way for me.”

Highlights:

Media Availabilities:

Up Next:

• Friday, March 21, 2025 – Belleville Senators vs. Toronto Marlies – 7:00 p.m. (CAA Arena)
• Saturday, March 22, 2025 – Belleville Senators @ Toronto Marlies – 4:00 p.m. (Coca-Cola Coliseum)
• Sunday, March 23, 2025 – Belleville Senators vs. Cleveland Monsters – 3:00 p.m. (CAA Arena) (Next Gen Game)

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

Fans looking for details on other ticketing options can click the following links for more on  becoming a season seat member, purchasing a flex pack membership, or putting down a deposit for 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.

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