A sold-out crowd, a tribute to history, but a tough result for the Belleville Senators, who dropped an 8-2 decision to the Rochester Americans.
The CAA Arena was packed to the rafters for Belleville’s first sellout of the season, as fans gathered to celebrate the city’s hockey legacy with a Belleville Bulls tribute night. The Senators took the ice in the sharp red, black, and gold Bulls jerseys, filling the arena with smiles and nostalgia.
In the first period, the Senators came out strong, applying pressure in the Americans’ zone. However, early penalties for Belleville were given to Jeremy Davies for tripping and Donovan Sebrango for high-sticking allowing Rochester to have a 5-on-3 advantage.
Rochester’s Isak Rosén struck first at 5:32, taking full advantage of the power play with a shot from the left point. Later in the period, at 11:15, the Americans extended their lead with a long, low shot that slipped past Belleville’s defence.
Belleville’s resilience shone through just 32 seconds later, as Cole Reinhardt scored a slick backhand goal, assisted by Stephen Halliday, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Tensions boiled over at 1:59 with gloves off and headlocks exchanged, earning Rochester’s Josh Dunne and Nikita Novikov penalties for roughing and charging, respectively. Senator Nikolas Matinpalo also received a penalty for roughing but seemed out of defence for his teammates. The Senators earned a power play but couldn’t convert, closing the first period trailing 2-1.
The Senators began the second period with energy but quickly returned on the penalty kill as Garrett Pilon took a delay-of-game penalty. Rochester capitalized with a gritty goal in front, restoring their two-goal lead. Moments later, Rochester hits it right off the goalpost, then scores again, off a rebound.
Belleville’s discipline continued to unravel, with an interference penalty to Oskar Pettersson. The period ended with a ceremonial faceoff and a 5-1 lead for the Americans.
The third period started with frustration for the Senators as Angus Crookshank took a cross-checking penalty right off the faceoff, resulting in a 5-on-3 for Rochester. The Americans made them pay with a backdoor goal, bringing the score to 6-1 at 6:57.
Belleville fought back with a highlight from Davies, who rifled a shot over the shoulder of his former team’s goalie, assisted by Philippe Daoust and Oskar Pettersson. However, penalties continued for the Senators, including a slashing call on Keean Washkurak.
The Americans sealed the deal with a buzzer-beater, scoring with 0.3 seconds left.
Despite the tough loss, the Bulls tribute night was a celebration of Belleville’s rich hockey history.
While the result wasn’t what the Senators or their fans were looking for, Tim Durkin captured the spirit of the night on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network, expressing the community’s pride in its hockey heritage and spotlighting Karl Subban, “Belleville’s Hockey Dad,” who called the city one of the best hockey cities around—a place where dreams come true.
You can see the complete box score by clicking here.
Fast Facts
- #4 Jeremy Davies notched an assist for his 18th point of the season to take over the Belleville scoring lead
- #20 Phil Daoust collected an assist
- #23 Cole Reinhardt picked up his sixth goal of the season in his return from an NHL recall
- #32 Oskar Pettersson recorded an assist
- #34 Stephen Halliday extended his career-high point streak to eight games with an assist.
- #35 Leevi Merilainen stopped 17 of the 22 shots he faced
- #40 Mads Sogaard stopped 9 of the 12 shots he faced in relief of Merilainen in third period
Highlights