The Belleville Senators were shutout for the first time this season Wednesday night 3-0 by the Laval Rocket.
Belleville’s Filip Gustavsson made 35 saves as Nikita Jevpalovs, Jake Lucchini and Joseph Blandisi scored for the Rocket. Cayden Primeau turned away 15 shots for his third shutout of the season.
Jevpalovs had the only goal of the first period just 1:12 into the frame as he was left all alone out front and took his time to out-deke Gustavsson for his ninth goal of the year.
Belleville came close to tying the game inside the opening three minutes of the second as Drake Batherson hit the post but the Rocket would double its lead with 40 seconds left in the period as Lucchini found himself wide open back door to bury Laurent Dauphin’s cross-ice feed for his 11th of the year.
The Senators were unable to find a way past the rookie netminder in the third period and the result was sealed with Blandisi’s empty-net goal in the final minute.
Belleville is back in action on Friday when they visit Utica. The Sens are back home March 20 against Grand Rapids.
