The Belleville Senators only see the Lehigh Valley Phantoms twice a year but you wouldn’t know it based on the physical play between those clubs on Saturday night at CAA Arena.
Despite trailing 2-0 early in the game, the Senators would battle back and pick up a gutsy 5-3 win, to extend their point streak to four games and sweep the two-game season series.
The win also gets the B-Sens back to the .500 mark on home ice.
Josh Norris had another pair of goals, with Morgan Klimchuk, Mike Carcone and Alex Formenton all chipping in as well and Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves to earn his 8th win of the season.
Pascal Laberge, Connor Bunnaman and Maksim Sushko tallied for the Phantoms and Alex Lyon made 31 saves in the losing cause.
The Phantoms hadn’t scored in close to two-and-a-half games, but broke their shutout streak just 4:45 into the game on the power play.
Pascal Laberge hammered home a one-time shot from the slot to make it 1-0.
Belleville would close the shot gap and benefit from a pair of power plays in the period, but couldn’t convert before the end of the frame.
Belleville Senators goaltender Filip Gustavsson makes a save, during a game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at CAA Arena, on January 4, 2020. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
Belleville had eight straight shots on a pair of power plays to start the second but found themselves down 2-0 right after the second man advantage expired.
Carsen Twarynski hit Sushko with a feed up the middle and he broke in on a breakaway to slip a shot between the legs of Gustavsson.
Belleville would answer 1:00 later when Formenton and Norris got away on a two-on-one and Norris buried his 18th of the season to make it 2-1.
After going 0-for-5 on the power play, the B-Sens would convert on their 6th chance, with Norris blasting home his 2nd of the game and 19th of the campaign.
Filip Chlapik won an offensive zone face off to Brown, who played it back to Erik Brannstrom and he fed Norris for the one-timer to tie the game 2-2.
Belleville took its first lead at 16:40 of the period on a breakaway goal from Klimchuk, who slid a low shot along the ice, after a great long feed from Brown.
Belleville Senators forward Morgan Klimchuk celebrates a goal against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, during a game at CAA Arena, on January 4, 2020. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
It took just 40 seconds of the 3rd period for Lehigh Valley to tie the game, again on the power play, with Bunnaman pouncing on a loose puck to even the score 3-3.
The B-Sens went back in front on Carcone’s 5th of the season, as he raced to a loose puck and banged in a rebound at 4:37, finally scoring after a handful of chances earlier in the game.
The Senators would also kill off another pair of late penalties and Formenton would deposit an empty netter to seal the win.
Belleville Senators forward Alex Formenton tries to tip a puck past Lehigh Valley Phantoms goaltender Alex Lyon, during a game at CAA Arena, on January 4, 2020. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
Norris has eight goals and three assists in his last eight games and says he’s feeling comfortable and confident 34 games in to his rookie professional season.
Aside from Norris, the Senators depth shone through in the win and Coach Troy Mann says that’s a key to the team’s continued success and he felt they were the better team for most of the game.
The Senators are off until Wednesday when they finish the home stand against the Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks).
800AM CJBQ’s broadcast will start at 6:50 p.m. for Eastern Overhead Doors and Deerhaven Farm and Garden.
You can click here to see the box score from Saturday night and watch highlights from the game below.
