Weekly Recap: Sens fight for points as the playoff push begins

The Belleville Senators are into the final 20 games of the 2025-26 regular season and faced a busy week last week, which included wrapping up their Family Day Weekend set with a home win over the Hershey Bears (AHL Affiliate of the Washington Capitals), while the rest of the week’s results weren’t quite as friendly. The Sens suffered a loss to the Syracuse Crunch (AHL Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning) before heading off on the road, where they fell in Providence against the Bruins (AHL Affiliate of the Boston Bruins) and in Hartford against the Wolf Pack (AHL Affiliate of the New York Rangers).

Those results leave the Senators with their work cut out for them over the final two months of the season. According to the American Hockey League’s daily playoff primer, Belleville’s magic number to clinch a Calder Cup Playoff berth is 51, though the Sens can only make up 36 points on their own if they win all of their remaining games. That means they’ll need some other divisional opponents to falter down the stretch, while tightening up their own game, to give themselves the best chance to qualify come mid-April.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026: Belleville Senators – 1 vs Syracuse Crunch 2

A late push on home ice last Wednesday came up just short, as the Sens fell 2-1 to the Syracuse Crunch at CAA Arena. After an early syracuse goal in the first period, Scott Harrington scored from a tough angle to tie the game, but that was all the offence Belleville could muster. Levi Merilainen started in goal again for the Sens and stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced.

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

Friday, February 20, 2026: Belleville Senators – 2 @ Providence Bruins – 5 

Belleville battled the Bruins in Providence on Friday night, finding out first-hand why Providence has been atop the Atlantic Division for so much of this campaign. Providence scored just 27 seconds into the contest and the two teams would trade markers through to the middle of the second period, before the Bruins pulled away. Arthur Kaliyev and Olle Lycksell scored the Belleville goals, while Leevi Merilainen stopped 34 of 39 shots in his fourth consecutive start.

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

Saturday, February 21 2026: Belleville Senators – 0 @ Hartford Wolf Pack – 4

The Sens’ penultimate road trip to the Atlantic Division finished on a sour note, with Belleville being blanked 4-0 by the Wolf Pack in Hartford on Saturday night. The Senators could only muster 20 shots on Spencer Martin, who stopped them all, with Stephen Halliday leading the Belleville shot count at four. Mads Sogaard stopped 24 of 28 shots in his return from the Milano-Cortina Olympics where he represented Denmark.

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

Recent Transactions

• Feb.19/26: #26 Carter Yakemchuk (D) – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.19/26: #26 Carter Yakemchuk (D) – ADD – Returned on loan from Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.19/26: #40 Mads Sogaard (G) – ADD – Reassigned by Ottawa (NHL) from Denmark National Team (Olympics)
• Feb.19/26: #32 Oskar Pettersson (F) – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.19/26: #32 Oskar Pettersson (F) – ADD – Returned on loan from Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.19/26: #43 Arthur Kaliyev (F) – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.19/26: #43 Arthur Kaliyev (F) – ADD – Returned on loan from Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.19/26: #16 Tyler Boucher (F) – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.19/26: #16 Tyler Boucher (F) – ADD – Returned on loan from Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.23/26: #26 Carter Yakemchuk (D) – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.23/26: #31 Jackson Parsons (G) – DELETE – Reassigned by Ottawa (NHL) to Allen (ECHL)
• Feb.23/26: #32 Stephen Halliday – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.23/26: #16 Tyler Boucher – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Feb.23/26: #16 Tyler Boucher – ADD – Returned on loan from Ottawa (NHL)

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

Statistical Leaders

Points: 50 (4th in AHL)
#43 Arthur Kaliyev (F) – 29 G + 20 A

Goals: 30 (1st in AHL)
#43 Arthur Kaliyev (F)

Assists: 30 (T-9th in AHL)
#10 Phil Daoust (C)

Power Play Goals: 14 (2nd in AHL)
#43 Arthur Kaliyev (F)

Plus/Minus: +6
#16 Tyler Boucher
#44 Djibril Toure

Penalty Minutes: 94 (11th in AHL)
#42 Hayden Hodgson (RW)

Goals Against Average: 3.19
#35 Leevi Merilainen (G)

Save Percentage: .899
#35 Leevi Merilainen (G)

Wins: 6
#30 Hunter Shepard (G)
#31 Leevi Merilainen (G)

Shutouts: 1
#31 Jackson Parsons (G)
#35 Leevi Merilainen (G)
#40 Mads Sogaard (G)

This Week:

The next couple of weeks will be light in terms of games, but not in importance. The Senators will travel to Utica for a Friday Night (February 27) tilt with the Comets (AHL Affiliate of the New Jersey Devils) at 7:00 p.m., before hosting the Comest back at CAA Arena the following night (February 28) also at 7:00 p.m.. The schedule will be the same again next week, with a repeat Friday/Saturday home-and-home against Utica. Given the playoff picture, the Senators need to win as many games as possible, while also seeing the teams above them in the standings start dropping points themselves. Both games this week 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 all home games in the 2025-26 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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