Belleville Tops Penguins 3-2 in Overtime to Start Road Trip
AHL Belleville Senators

Belleville Tops Penguins 3-2 in Overtime to Start Road Trip

Published on January 21, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Belleville Senators News Release


Belleville Senators centre Jan Jeník in the faceoff circle
Belleville Senators centre Jan Jeník in the faceoff circle
(Belleville Senators, Credit: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)

BELLEVILLE, ON - The Belleville Senators kicked off their seven-game road trip in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Penguins.

The opening period was a mostly quiet affair on the scoreboard, but with under three minutes remaining, Belleville took advantage. Off a turnover in the defensive zone, Xavier Bourgault used his speed to get past Matt Dumba, scoring five-hole to make it a 1-0 contest.

The second frame saw the Penguins respond to knot the game up. A battle low in the Senators' zone had Avery Hayes swing the puck out front, where it was picked up by Rafael Harvey-Pinard. He spun and fired one of his own, deflecting it in off a stick to tie the game at 1-1. Through two periods, Leevi Merilainen had stopped 25 of 26 shots, proving to be a key factor heading into the final twenty minutes.

Almost three minutes into the third, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton took the lead. An errant pass in the Senators' zone resulted in a cross-crease feed from Joona Koppanen to Atley Calvert, who scored his ninth to give the Penguins a 2-1 edge. Belleville's late push paid off as they evened the game. Jan Jenik cycled the puck down low, and a heads-up play by Mark Duarte led to a feed in front for Landen Hookey, who fired a quick shot for his fourth goal, sending the game to overtime at 2-2.

It took less than five minutes of extra time for Belleville to close out another tight contest. After sustained pressure by the Penguins, a breakout pass from Wyatt Bongiovanni found Xavier Bourgault, who fed Lassi Thomson for a one-timer that beat Joel Blomqvist, securing a 3-2 victory.

Belleville is going to have to wait a decent amount of time before meeting up with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton again, as these two sides will battle on March 20th. This meeting will be the final one of the season at home inside CAA Arena at 7:00 p.m.

The Senators will continue on this long road trip to Providence for the first game of a back-to-back this weekend at Amica Mutual Pavilion versus the Bruins (AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins) with game time at 7:05 p.m.

Fast Facts:

#5 Wyatt Bongiovanni is now on a five-game point streak with an assist tonight

#8 Mark Duarte recorded an assist

#13 Xavier Bourgault notched two points with a goal and an assist

#24 Jan Jenik had one assist

#33 Lassi Thomson scored the game-winning goal

#39 Landen Hookey netted his fourth of the year

#35 Leevi Merilainen stopped 27 of 29 shots

The full 2025-26 Belleville Senators schedule can be found here.

Single-game tickets for the first half of 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.

Check out the Belleville Senators Statistics

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Images from this story

Belleville Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen
Belleville Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen
(Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)		 Belleville Senators right wing Oskar Pettersson (left) and defenceman Dennis Gilbert
Belleville Senators right wing Oskar Pettersson (left) and defenceman Dennis Gilbert
(Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)		 Belleville Senators centre Jan Jeník in the faceoff circle
Belleville Senators centre Jan Jeník in the faceoff circle
(Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)



American Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2026


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