Senators’ scoring barrage secures 8–4 win over Marlies

The Belleville Senators were back home to play their last game prior to the holiday break as they welcomed the Toronto Marlies, taking them down 8-4.

The first frame got off to a quick start, as the Marlies struck first. Marc Johnstone and Chas Sharpe helped set up a Cedric Pare drive to the net, and he went five-hole to open the scoring, 1-0. Just under thirty seconds later, the Senators answered right back to tie the contest. A pass from Mark Duarte and Landen Hookey found the blade of Keean Washkurak, who scored his third of the season to knot the game at 1-1. At the halfway mark, Belleville was able to net another goal. A quick Xavier Bouragult down the right side had his shot hit the left pad of Vyacheslav Peksa and bouncing right out to Garrett Pilon, who gave the Senators a 2-1 lead.

Just before the midway point of the period, the Marlies got back even. A slick and quick passing play by Jacob Quillan and Vinni Lettieri was finished off by Logan Shaw in close, as Toronto tied it up at 2-2. Not long after, Belleville regained the advantage. Constant pressure in the offensive zone led to an explosive Lassi Thomson goal, with Garrett Pilon and Arthur Kaliyev picking up assists to put the Senators ahead 3-2. This energy continued less than two minutes later for another tally. A patient Jamieson Rees waited out Peksa to beat him high, with Oskar Pettersson setting him up for a 4-2 two-goal cushion. Before the period ended, Belleville tacked on another. A clean passing sequence along the close boards started with Rees feeding Pilon and ended with a cross-crease pass to a joyful Jan Jenik, who scored his fourth of the season, resulting in a 5-2 lead.

The third and final period saw Belleville keep up their scoring. Using his body well off a pass from Xavier Bourgault, Kaliyev found Philippe Daoust to extend the edge to 6-2. The Senators added their seventh goal of the game for a special milestone. Tomas Hamara netted his first AHL goal with a low-point shot, assisted by Daoust and Wyatt Bongiovanni, lengthening the contest to 7-2. Belleville was not done yet, as they padded their lead further. Using his speed, Rees put home his second goal of the game, boosting the Senators’ control to 8-2.

The Marlies added two more goals of their own late in the period. Bo Groulx scored first, striking in back-to-back games to cut the deficit to 8-3. The fourth and final marker came from Marc Johnstone on the power play with just under a minute and thirty seconds remaining, finalizing the score at 8–4.

Post break, Belleville will get back on the bus to Toronto to take on these same Marlies as they face off for their annual Boxing Day contest down at Scotiabank Arena for a 2:00 p.m. start.

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