The Grand Rapids Griffins slipped past the Belleville Senators 4-3 in overtime at CAA Arena on Saturday.
Angus Crookshank, Garrett Pilon, and Nicolas Matinpalo scored for the Senators.
The game was the annual Teddy Bear Toss, with fans tossing stuffed bears onto the ice after the Senators’ first goal in support of the Belleville Firefighters Toy Drive. The bears flew after 16 minutes of play, when Garrett Pilon took the Sens’ first goal of the night in the first period.
The Sens extended their lead early in the second with another goal before the Griffins got their first goal in the second and two more in the third to take the lead. A final goal by the Sens late in the third tied the game and took the teams to overtime, where a goal by the Griffins closed out the game.
Belleville Senators Head Coach David Bell said the team got over confident after the previous night’s win.
“I’m embarrassed, disappointed, it just wasn’t good enough. The game was there to be had. It was the same we played last night, one of their top players was out,” said Coach Bell “It was there for us to take and we took a step back.”
The Senators are back in action on Thursday, travelling to face the Cleveland Monsters.
