Belleville Senators forward Jack Rodewald had a goal and an assist in his return to the line up, in a 6-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, on November 15, 2017. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
The Belleville Senators picked up their most decisive win of the season with a 6-2 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers) at Yardmen Arena, on Wednesday, finishing their seven game homestand.
Ben Harpur and Jack Rodewald each had a goal and an assist in their returns to the Belleville lineup, while Gabriel Gagne netted a pair and Max McCormick had three assists.
Andrew Hammond made 44 saves to preserve his fifth win of the season.
Coach Kurt Kleinendorst tells Quinte News the team should get a bit of a morale boost beating Lehigh Valley, who were in the top five in the Eastern Conference, heading into the game.
It took just 3:27 for Ben Harpur to find the score sheet when his seeing-eye wrist shot beat Alex Lyon high.
Harpur’s assist came late in the first period after he took a point shot and Rodewald pounced on a rebound, to make it 2-0.
Three of Belleville’s six goals came on the second chance, including Gagne’s first of the game to make it 3-0, which led to to a Phantoms’ goalie change and saw Dustin Tokarski take over between the pipes.
Gagne says the team has been making a point to chase after rebounds.
Belleville Senators forward Gabrial Gagne battles along the boards during a 6-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, on November 15, 2017. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
Coach Kleinendorst echoed that sentiment that his team is starting to embrace the idea of crashing the net.
The Phantoms would capitalize on a pair of turnovers in the second period, about three minutes apart, with Mike Vecchione picking off a Patrick Sieloff turnover and beating Hammond on a breakaway.
Vecchione then redirected a pass out of the corner between Hammond’s legs to make it 3-2.
The third period was all Belleville.
Gagne’s second of the game came at 3:39 of the frame after he beat Tokarski upstairs, finishing a nice passing play from Max McCormick and Thomas Chabot.
Then midway through the third, Jim O’Brien buried a rebound for his fifth of the season and Colin White smashed home a one-timer from Jack Rodewald on a two-on-one rush half a minute later.
Belleville now heads on a two-week road trip, with stops in Utica (Vancouver Canucks) on Friday night, Charlotte (Carolina Hurricanes) next Tuesday and Wednesday and Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs) next Saturday and Sunday, before returning home on November 29th to host the Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens) for the first time.
All of the road games can be heard live on 800 CJBQ.
The full box score from Wednesday’s game can be found by clicking here.
