The Belleville Senators began a week of crucial games against divisional opponents on Wednesday night with a tight 4-3 loss to against the Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks), at CAA Arena.
Vitaly Abramov had a pair of goals in his return from injury, with former Comet Michael Carcone netting the other Belleville goal.
Joey Daccord stopped 22 shots in the first home game of his career.
It was also the first time Daccord had made back to back starts, after he earned a win over the Marlies in Toronto last weekend.
It took Belleville about 12:o0 minutes to get going, as they were outshot 8-1, before going on a bit of an offensive push.
The only real excitement up to that point was a scrap between Hubert Labrie and Justin Bailey, at the end of a Utica power play, after a shoving match in front of the Belleville net.
The Comets would open the scoring at about the 17:00 mark, when Carter Camper hit a streaking Zack MacEwen with a pass and MacKewen put a backhand shot overtop of a sprawling Daccord to make it 1-0.
Nikolay Goldobin earned the second assist on MacEwen’s fourth goal of the season.
Despite a couple of Belleville power plays, that score stood at the end of the first period.
Belleville Senators goaltender Joey Daccord covers a puck, with Utica Comets forward Sven Baertschi crashing the net, during a game at CAA Arena on December 18, 2019. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
The Comets pulled away in the second period, making it 2-0 inside the first minute.
Abramov tried to keep the puck inside the offensive end with a shot, but he put it right into the pads of Carter Camper, who turned it into a two-on-one, feeding Goldobin in the far circle and the Russian sniper ripped a wrist shot over the shoulder of Daccord.
Belleville got back within one when former Comet Carcone buried a rebound past Zane McIntyre, following a goal mouth scramble, about 3:00 later.
Alex Formenton and Cole Cassels earned the assists, as Carcone scored his first goal since November 2.
But, the Comets reinstated the two-goal lead on the power play at 7:01.
A fortunate bounce from a point shot found Reid Boucher in the near circle and he buried a shot into a half-empty net, with Daccord down and out.
It was Boucher’s 20th goal of the season, extending an 11 game point streak and put him back even with Drake Batherson for the AHL scoring lead.
It also breaks the Comets all time scoring record, of 75 goals, which was held by former Belleville Senator Darren Archibald.
Belleville took a third penalty for delay of game at 15:41 and Kole Lind banged in a rebound just 20 seconds into that man advantage, to make it 4-1 Utica.
The Senators would end up with four delay of game penalties in the game, after taking nine all of last season.
The B-Sens pushed back in the third and made it close, cutting the lead back to 4-2 midway through the period.
Jordan Murray’s shot from the point was tipped in front, bounced off the pads of McIntyre, then off the skates of Comets defender Guillaume Brisebois and into the net.
Abramov was given credit for the goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Alex Formenton and Murray, who took the initial shot.
Abramov would score his second of the game with the extra attacker out in the final minute, roofing a rebound, for his 10th goal of the season to make it 4-3, but the Sens couldn’t get even before the buzzer.
Rudolfs Balcers was credited with an assist, which extends his franchise record point streak to 13 games, with the Latvian registering at least one point in each game he’s played in this season.
Belleville Senators forward Rudolfs Balcers extended his franchise record point streak to 13 games, against the Utica Comets at CAA Arena, on December 18, 2019. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
B-Sens Head Coach Troy Mann says he felt like his team couldn’t recover from the slow start.
He added that they’ll have to refocus and try to get four of six available points this week, with more important games coming up.
The Senators continue their stretch of divisional games on Friday as they travel to Syracuse to face the Crunch (Tampa Bay Lighting), at 7:00 p.m.
800 AM CJBQ’s coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. for Eastern Overhead Doors and Deerhaven Farm and Garden.
Belleville returns home on Saturday to welcome the rival Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs) back to CAA Arena, with limited tickets still available for that matchup.
You can click here to read the box score from Wednesday night and see highlights from the game below.
