Sens set season shots high, but Syracuse slips by 3-2

Goals from Tyler Boucher and Matthew Highmore, as well as a season-high 43 shots on goal, weren’t enough for the Belleville Senators on Friday night, as the host Syracuse Crunch skated away with a narrow 3-2 win at Upstate Medical University Arena.

The loss drops the Sens’ record to 13-10-1-4, six points back of Syracuse for the fifth and final playoff spot in the AHL’s North division but with three games in hand on them.

A scoreless first period saw the Senators more than double Syracuse in shots with a 12-5 margin, despite the Sens serving the only penalty kill of the frame. The best chances of the period came on a Matthew Highmore point-blank one-timer that was stopped by Crunch goaltender Matt Tomkins, and a net drive by rookie Jorian Donovan on a 3-on-2 rush that led to a partial breakaway but another close-range Tomkins save.

Syracuse opened the scoring 4:27 into the second after a Daniel Walcott takeaway in the Sens’ zone. His initial shot was a pad stop for Mads Sogaard, but the rebound was tapped home by Jesse Ylonen to give the home side a 1-0 lead. The Crunch doubled the lead just over a minute later on their second power play of the game when a Max Crozier one-timer from the left circle found paydirt. A Steven Santini shot at 8:56 ricocheted off of Sogaard and in to then make it a 3-0 lead for Syracuse. An alert play by Filip Roos later in the period saw the veteran defenceman sweep a puck off the Belleville goal line after a shorthanded shot from the Crunch had nearly slid home.

While shorthanded, Tyler Boucher then broke the goose egg for the Senators with just over a minute left in the middle frame, driving in to the right circle and wiring a low wrist shot past Tomkins to cut the deficit to two.

The shot lead continued for Belleville into the third, but it wasn’t until their 41st shot on Tomkins that they drew back to within one, when a Jeremy Davies point shot was tipped by Matthew Highmore into the Crunch goaltender’s pad; Highmore then swatted home his own rebound to make it 3-2 with 1:21 left in regulation.

It would be as close as the Senators would get, however, as Syracuse held on for the narrow win despite a 43-21 shot lead for the visitors, including a 17-7 tally in the third.

You can see the complete box score by clicking here.

Fast Facts

• With 43 shots, the Senators broke their previous season high for shots in a game (42), and were just six shots away from the franchise record
• #16 Tyler Boucher extended his point streak to three games, with two goals and one assist in that span
• Belleville was 0-for-4 on the Lifestyle Home Products Power Play, and 3 for 4 on the Viewtech Window & Door Penalty Kill
• #4 Jeremy Davies registered his 21st point of the season with an assist on Highmore’s goal; he is now the 7th-highest scoring defenceman in the AHL

Highlights:

Sound Bytes:

Head Coach Dave Bell on the team’s play:

“I was extremely proud of the guys; the morale didn’t drop on the bench, they wanted to rally, they wanted to find a way to get those goals back and make things right, but at the end of the day it’s a loss. But a lot of positive things come out of that.”

Bell on Tyler Boucher’s play as of late:

“He’s been asked to penalty kill now, and you know what, he can skate and he can shoot, and he showed that off on that penalty kill turnover. That’s good for Bouch; it’s another element that he can add, and another chance for him to get on the ice.”

Bell on his hopes for tomorrow night in Utica:

“I’d like the exact same effort, I think we tweaked some stuff after the game at home against them, and they’ve been coming on, but if we put the effort in that we did tonight, and stick to it, I think we’ll have a good chance.”

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Up Next:

• Saturday, January 4, 2025 – Belleville Senators @ Utica Comets – 7:00 p.m. ET (Adirondack Bank Centre)
• Friday, January 10, 2025 – Belleville Senators vs Wilkes-Barrre/Scranton Penguins – 7:00 p.m. ET (CAA Arena)
• Sunday, January 12, 2025 – Belleville Senators vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – 3:00 p.m .ET (CAA Arena) (Family Fun Day)

Ticket Info:

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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