Weekly Recap: Sens steal first road win in Syracuse, but can’t top Comets in week two

Week two of the 2026-27 American Hockey League season gave the Belleville Senators another mixed bag of results.

After successfully starting the road portion of their campaign with a dramatic final-minute win in Syracuse against the Crunch (AHL Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning), the Sens couldn’t come up with a repeat performance on home ice in their first meeting of the season with the Utica Comets (AHL Affiliate of the New Jersey Devils) back at CIBC Place.

By earning two of a possible four points this week, the Senators find themselves in the middle of the pack in the early North Division standings. Utica, Toronto, Laval, and Cleveland all have six points, Rochester has five, and Belleville has four. Hamilton trails just behind with three points, and the Syracuse Crunch have picked up two points so far this season.

Here’s a recap of last week’s action as the Senators prepare to play three games in three nights for the first time this season, this weekend.

Saturday, October 10, 2026: Belleville Senators – 3 @ Syracuse Crunch – 2

The Belleville Senators had a thrilling start to their 2026-27 road scheduled on Saturday night, coming from behind and finding a game-winning-goal in the final minute, to defeat the Syracuse Crunch 3-2 at Upstate Medical University Arena. After going down 1-0 midway through the first, and battling through a scoreless second period, Kasper Halttunen and Ryan Suzuki each scored their first goals in Belleville uniforms early in the third. Syracuse would tie the game 2-2 not long after, and Xavier Bourgault would play the hero, burying his second goal of the season with just 25 seconds left to win the game. The goal put Bourgault on a three-game point streak. Jonas Johansson became the first goaltender in Belleville Sens history to start the first three games of the season consecutively, and stopped 30 of 32 shots for his second win.

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

Sunday, October 11, 2026: Belleville Senators – 2 vs Utica Comets – 4

The return to home ice didn’t go as well for the Sens, who hosted the Utica Comets to finish up the weekend, and fell 4-2. The Comets followed up a scoreless first period by scoring three unanswered goals, and would tack on an empty netter in the third, after Ryan Suzuki tallied his second in as many games, and Sam Bolduc notched his first goal of the season for Belleville. Jackson Parsons made his first start and appearance of the season, turning aside 24 of the 28 shots he faced.

GAME RECAP | 

Recent Transactions:

• Oct.6/26: #30 Jonas Johansson (G) – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Oct.6/26: #11 Jorian Donovan (D) – ADD – Returned on loan from Ottawa (NHL)
• Oct.8/26: #5 Hoyt Stanley (D) – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Oct.8/26: #30 Jonas Johansson (G) – ADD – Returned on loan from Ottawa (NHL)
• Oct.11/26: #11 Jorian Donovan (D) – DELETE – Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)

Click here for a full list of Belleville Sens transactions.

Statistical Leaders 

Points: 4
#12 Kasper Halttunen (RW) (1 G + 3 A)

Goals: 1
#13 Xavier Bourgault (RW)
#6 Ryan Suzuki (C)

Assists: 3
#12 Kasper Halttunen (RW)

Power Play Goals: 2
#6 Ryan Suzuki (C)

Plus/Minus: +1
#15 Shane Bowers (LW)
#58 Sam Bolduc (D)
#8 Mark Duarte (RW)
#32 Oskar Pettersson (RW)

Penalty Minutes: 24
#19 Sammy Blais (LW)

Goals Against Average: 2.62
#30 Jonas Johansson (G)

Save Percentage: .922
#30 Jonas Johansson (G)

Wins: 2
#30 Jonas Johansson (G)

Shutouts: 0

The Week Ahead:

The Senators will play their first of back-to-back weeks that include stretches of three games in three nights, this weekend. They’ll start off with a Friday night home game against the Laval Rocket (AHL Affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens) on Bellevegas Night at 7:00 p.m. Then, it’s a home-and-home with the defending Calder Cup Champion Toronto Marlies at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday at CIBC Place, and again at 4:00 p.m. in Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto.

Ticket Info:

The full 2026-27 Belleville Senators schedule is available by clicking here.

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