(Photo: Belleville Senators)
Story by Matt Tidcombe
The Belleville Senators were beaten 3-1 Saturday night by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Webster Bank Arena.
Ben Holmstrom (2) and Connor Jones scored for the Sound Tigers while Christopher Gibson made 24 saves. Danny Taylor, who made his second start in as many nights, turned aside 24 shots while Filip Chlapik scored for Belleville
Holmstrom’s sixth goal of the year came 5:46 in as he found a loose puck outside the crease and chipped it over Taylor’s left pad for an early 1-0 lead for the hosts.
Bridgeport doubled its lead at 12:46 after an individual piece of magic from Josh Ho-Sang as he pulled a spin move in the Sens’ defensive zone before going cross-ice to Jones whose wrister beat Taylor for his fifth goal of the season.
After a good start to the second for the Senators, where they generated a number of chances inside the Bridgeport zone, they fell further behind as Holmstrom deposited Kane Lafranchise’s centering pass at 8:07 for a 3-0 lead.
Chlapik got the Sens on the board in the third on the power play as he buried his seventh goal of the season short-side after Nick Paul and Ben Sexton cycled the puck well down low at 9:34.
Sens captain Michael Blunden says a tough start cost the team.
Saturday’s game was the first meeting in franchise history between the two sides. The Sens will host the Sound Tigers on March 3 at the Yardmen Arena.
Belleville is back in action Wednesday as they face the Rochester Americans on the road. The Senators return home Feb. 9 to host the Toronto Marlies and a very limited amount of tickets are available
