Senators Battle Hard, Come up Short in 2-1 Shootout Loss
AHL Belleville Senators

Senators Battle Hard, Come up Short in 2-1 Shootout Loss

Published on March 20, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Belleville Senators News Release


Belleville Senators right wing Graeme Clarke with the puck vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Belleville Senators right wing Graeme Clarke with the puck vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
(Belleville Senators, Credit: Jana Chytilova - Freestyle Photography)

BELLEVILLE, ON - The Belleville Senators continued their five-game homestand Friday night as they took on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, falling in a hard-fought battle, 2-1 in a shootout.

The first period was scoreless, but not without chances. Belleville outshot the Penguins 7-6, generating four high-danger opportunities and controlling the play well.

The middle frame saw both sides light the lamp, with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton striking first. A power-play opportunity had the Penguins set up deep in the offensive zone, where Gabe Klassen and Sebastian Aho combined to set up Aidan McDonough for his seventeenth goal, making it a 1-0 game. The Senators answered just past the fifteen-minute mark. Nabbing his first point as a Senator, Riley Kidney sent the puck ahead to Tyler Boucher, who executed a give-and-go with Jamieson Rees. Boucher finished for his ninth goal, tying the game at 1-1.

The third period saw a similar fate to the first, as the frame went scoreless, though the Senators stood out defensively. Belleville outshot the Penguins for the third straight period, 6-3, sending both sides into overtime.

The extra five minutes solved nothing, so a shootout was needed to decide the game.

In the shootout, both McDonough and Olle Lycksell scored on their first attempts. Klassen then scored in the second round, beating Leevi Merilainen five-hole, while Arthur Kaliyev was unable to convert. Avery Hayes, after two chances in overtime, got his revenge by securing the extra point for the Penguins in a 2-1 win.

This game marked the final meeting of the season between the two teams. The Senators finished with a 1-0-0-1 record against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and now hold a 7-6-0-1 all-time record against the Penguins.

The Senators will have to have a short memory as the Springfield Thunderbirds come into town (AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues) to finish off this back-to-back at CAA Arena, with puck drop coming at 7:00 p.m.

Fast Facts:

#15 Olle Lycksell put four shots on net

#16 Tyler Boucher scored his ninth of the season

#19 Jamieson Rees recorded an assist

#21 Riley Kidney notched his first point as a Senator with an assist

#35 Leevi Merilainen saved 18 of 19

#43 Arthur Kaliyev had five shots on goal

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

Single-game tickets for the second 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

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Images from this story

Belleville Senators right wing Hayden Hodgson (right) vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Belleville Senators right wing Hayden Hodgson (right) vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
(Jana Chytilova - Freestyle Photorgaphy)		 Belleville Senators centre Garrett Pilon vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Belleville Senators centre Garrett Pilon vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
(Jana Chytilova - Freestyle Photography)		 Belleville Senators right wing Graeme Clarke with the puck vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Belleville Senators right wing Graeme Clarke with the puck vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
(Jana Chytilova - Freestyle Photography)



American Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central