Weekly Recap: Senators trade shutouts with Moose with playoff race tightening

The Belleville Senators traded shutouts with the Manitoba Moose (AHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets) during a two-game home set at CAA Arena this past weekend. After Belleville blanked Manitoba 5-0 on Friday, the Moose stomped out the Senators’ offence on Saturday and returned the favour with a 1-0 shutout of their own.

And, while the Sens were able to collect a pair of critical late-season points, the North Division opponents that they’re battling with also saw some success last week. The Rochester Americans (AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres) and Utica Comets (AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils) also had positive results. Belleville sits at 59 points, tied with Utica, which holds one game in hand. Ahead of them is Rochester, keeping a lock on the North’s fifth and final Calder Cup Playoffs berth, six points ahead.

Belleville has just seven games remaining and will visit both Rochester and Utica this weekend, with both of those teams also making up games in hand throughout the week. The latest information on the 2025-26 Calder Cup Playoff Picture can be found by visiting the American Hockey League’s daily playoff primer.

Friday, March 27, 2026: Belleville Senators – 5 vs Manitoba Moose – 0

Leevi Merilainen stopped all 26 shots he faced, and Arthur Kaliyev recorded a hat-trick, as the Belleville Senators overpowered the Manitoba Moose on Friday Night at CAA Arena. It was Kaliyev’s first hat-trick of the season and Belleville’s second as a club (Oskar Pettersson bagged three goals earlier this season against Utica). The shutout was Merilainen’s second of the season and Belleville Sens franchise-leading eighth of his AHL career. Rookie defenceman Thomas Hamara tallied his fourth goal of the season for the Sens, and Phil Daoust notched his 14th.

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

Saturday, March 28, 2026: Belleville Senators – 0 vs Manitoba Moose – 1

The Belleville Senators were proud to celebrate the lasting legacy of the former Ontario Hockey League Belleville Bulls on Saturday night, during their annual Bulls Tribute Night. And, while the result wasn’t what fans, or players, were hoping for, everyone was excited to welcome back former members of the 2007-2008 OHL Eastern Conference Championship team, along with other Bulls’ alumni, friends and family. Leevi Merilainen did as much as he could for the Sens in his second consecutive start, facing 34 shots and allowing only one goal, a power play marker in the first period. The Senators had 32 shots the other way on Thomas Milic in the Moose net.

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

Recent Transactions

• Mar.24/26: #26 Carter Yakemchuk (D) – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Mar.24/26: #11 Jorian Donovan (D) – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Mar.25/26: #3 Sam Sedley (D) – ADD – Signed to PTO
• Mar.29/26: #11 Jorian Donovan (D) – ADD – Returned on loan from Ottawa (NHL)
• Mar.2926: #3 Sam Sedley (D) – DELETE – Released from PTO

You can click here for a full list of Belleville Sens transactions.

Statistical Leaders 

Points: 60 (T-4th in AHL)
#43 Arthur Kaliyev (F)

Goals: 36 (1st in AHL)
#43 Arthur Kaliyev (F)

Assists: 32
#10 Phil Daoust (C)

Power Play Goals: 16 (2nd in AHL)
#43 Arthur Kaliyev (F)

Plus/Minus: +9
#58 Samuel Bolduc (D)

Penalty Minutes: 105 (19th in AHL)
#42 Hayden Hodgson (RW)

Goals Against Average: 2.77
#35 Leevi Merilainen (G)

Save Percentage: .909
#35 Leevi Merilainen (G)

Wins: 8
#31 Leevi Merilainen (G)

Shutouts: 2
#35 Leevi Merilainen (G)

This Week:

The Senators will play the next four of their final seven games away from home, beginning this weekend with an important pair of games in Rochester on Friday night (7:05 p.m. from the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial), and in Utica on Saturday (7:00 p.m from the Adirondack Bank Center). With both the Amerks and Comets seeing mid-week action, Belleville will be able to make a positive impact on it’s playoff chances with wins this weekend. However, losses to either team would make Calder Cup Playoffs qualification all the more challenging. Next weekend, the Sens play a pair of games in Laval against the Rocket (AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens), who are locked in a battle for first place in the North with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning). Belleville’s remaining three games after the trip to Quebec include hosting the Comets (April 15), and a home-and-home split with the Crunch (April 17 & 18). All of the upcoming games  can be heard free on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network. You can also watch along by subscribing to AHLTV on FloHockey.

Ticket Info:

Single-game tickets for the remaining two home games in the 2025-26 regular season are now on sale via Ticketmaster or at the Belleville Sens Box Office located inside the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre. Details on season seat memberships, flex packs, premium seating, the Business Edge program, and more can be found by visiting the Belleville Sens Website. 

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