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AHL Belleville Senators

Senators open Atlantic Division trip with loss to Thunderbirds

November 3, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Belleville Senators News Release


Springfield Thunderbirds' Hugh McGing battles Belleville Senators' Matthew Highmore
Springfield Thunderbirds' Hugh McGing battles Belleville Senators' Matthew Highmore
(Belleville Senators, Credit: Freestyle Photography)

BELLEVILLE, ON - The Belleville Senators will have to wait another season before getting another chance at their first win in Springfield, following a 6-3 loss at MassMutual Center on Friday night.

The Senators scored the game's first goal at 7:39 of the first period, courtesy of a double-tip on the power play by Angus Crookshank and Jiri Smejkal, with Smejkal getting credit for his first American Hockey League goal.

Springfield scored three straight to start the second, with Dylan Coghlan counting at 1:47, followed by Matthew Kessel's shorthanded tally at 7:22, and Hugh McGing's first of the season at 13:12. Belleville would tie the game through an Egor Sokolov power play marker at 15:44, then the game-tying goal from Garrett Pilon, with just under three seconds left in the frame.

But only the T-Birds would score in the third. Nathan Walker's first of the game came on the power play at 9:15 and he'd count an empty net marker at 18:53. Will Bitten would also add an empty net tally, to make it 6-3.

Fast Facts:

#39 Jiri Smejkal scored his first American Hockey League Goal

#9 Angus Crookshank had one assist, and now has points in back-to-back games

#13 Egor Sokolov's goal gives him points in back-to-back games

#15 Matthew Highmore had an assist against his former team, to stretch his point streak to four games (two goals, three assists)

#20 Philippe Daoust had an assist in his first game this season, after being recalled from the Allen Americans (ECHL) this morning

#21 Max Guenette is on a three-game point streak (five assists) and has had two assists in each of his last two games

#40 Mads Sogaard stopped 25 of 29 shots he faced

Sound Bytes:

Belleville Sens forward Jiri Smejkal on what made the difference in the loss:

"I think we were a little bit lucky that it was 3-3 after the second, especially in the second they were the better team. Then in the third, they had a lot of power plays and got going, and we kind of fell a little short."

Full media availabilies below

Next Up:

Saturday November 4, 2023 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins) - 6:05 p.m.

Wednesday November 8, 2023 vs Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning) - 7:00 p.m.

Friday November 10, 2023 vs Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets) - 7:00 p.m. (Military Appreciation Night)

Sunday November 12, 2023 vs Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets) - 2:00 p.m. (Sunday Funday)

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Images from this story

Belleville Senators' Cole Reinhardt in action
Belleville Senators' Cole Reinhardt in action
(Freestyle Photography)		 Belleville Senators battle the Springfield Thunderbirds
Belleville Senators battle the Springfield Thunderbirds
(Freestyle Photography)		 Springfield Thunderbirds' Mackenzie MacEachern and Belleville Senators' Maxence Guenette on game night
Springfield Thunderbirds' Mackenzie MacEachern and Belleville Senators' Maxence Guenette on game night
(Freestyle Photography)
Springfield Thunderbirds' Hugh McGing battles Belleville Senators' Matthew Highmore
Springfield Thunderbirds' Hugh McGing battles Belleville Senators' Matthew Highmore
(Freestyle Photography)		   



American Hockey League Stories from November 3, 2023


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