For a second night in a row the Belleville Senators battled with one of the top teams in the American Hockey League, but after a third period let down on Friday, they were able to outlast the Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers) in a 5-4 shootout win on Saturday.
Cole Cassels and Jordan Szwarz each had a goal and an assist for Belleville, while Jonathan Davidsson and Mike Carcone added singles, and Filip Gustavsson made 34 saves, on Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Night at CAA Arena.
Things didn’t start great, as the Atlantic Division leading Wolf Pack opened the scoring just 2:28 into the game, when Steven Fogarty tipped in a Nick Ebert point shot.
But Belleville got even for the first time in the night at 11:28, as Carcone cleaned up the rebound from a Hubert Labrie shot from the blue line, beating Igor Shesterkin for his third goal of the season.
Cassels, who joined the Senators on a pro tryout this week, earned the second assist.
Ebert, who was involved in a trade from Ottawa to New York earlier in the season, got in on the scoring again at 12:10, when his seeing-eye wrist shot from the blue line eluded Gustavsson to put Hartford back in front 2-1.
Davidsson ended up with two chances to tie the game later in the period.
First on a deflection in front, after a hard pass out of the corner on the power play, but Shesterkin made the save.
Then, he knocked in a rebound at 18:52 to even the score 2-2, by knocking in a rebound for his first AHL goal.
Belleville Senators forward Jordan Szwarz drives in on Hartford Wolf Pack goaltender Igor Shesterkin, during a game at CAA Arena, on November 2, 2019. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
Belleville took the lead for the first time in the game at 5:15 of the second after a good penalty kill clear by Parker Kelly.
Jordan Szwarz forced a turnover at the red line, charged in and stuffed his second of the season past Shesterkin to give Belleville its first lead of the night.
But, about 3:00 later, Parker Kelly was left without a stick on another penalty kill and the Wolf Pack worked a nice passing play around the zone, finished by Patrick Newell, tying the game 3-3 just as the penalty expired.
The B-Sens went ahead again just about 7:00 into the third by with some good forecheck pressure below the Hartford goal line.
Andrew Sturtz was able to get a pass out front to Cassels, who buried the go ahead goal, for his second point of the night.
There was a string of penalties late in the game, including a high-sticking call against Drake Batherson that allowed the Wolf Pack to get their goaltender out and play five-on-four and force overtime.
Joey Keane took a low shot from the point, which hit the stick of Belleville defenceman Jack Dougherty and got by Gustavsson to tie the game in the final minute.
Neither team was able to score in the extra frame, but Szwarz buried his chance on Belleville’s first shootout attempt and Gustavsson would stop all three Hartford shooters he faced to secure the win.
Belleville Senators forward Morgan Klimchuk skates for the puck, during a game against the Hartford Wolf Pack at CAA Arena, on November 2, 2019. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
The sophomore netminder was pleased with his performance overall but wants to get off to better starts moving forward.
He says coming in to play the second game of the weekend, when the team has lost the first, is adding some pressure and he’s trying to get more focused during his pregame warm up in order to prepare himself better.
Head Coach Troy man says he was pleased to see his team stick with the game plan and get the win ahead of an upcoming four game road trip.
He added that there was some extra energy in the building, with it being Military Appreciation Night as well.
The B-Sens’ road trip that will see them visit the Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning), before a return trip to Hartford, with stops in Bridgeport (New York Islanders) and Laval (Montreal Canadiens), before returning home in just under two weeks.
800 CJBQ will have coverage of all of those games for Eastern Overhead Doors and Deerhaven Farm and Garden.
You can click here to see the box score from Saturday night and see highlights from the game below.
