The Belleville Senators fired 37 shots on the Utica Comets on Friday night, but a game-breaking shutout performance from goaltender Isaac Poulter led the host Utica Comets to a 1-0 win.
Mark Sinclair stopped 26 of 27 shots for Belleville in a stellar effort. The team’s record drops to 17-15-1-4, six points back of Syracuse for the final AHL North playoff spot with four games in hand.
Utica took the lead just over four minutes into the game when Mike Hardman drove to the net front and slid a backhander past Sinclair, and an ensuing equipment issue forced Belleville to swap to Michael Simpson in goal early. Sinclair returned at the first timeout.
The goaltenders combined for 21 saves in a scoreless second period in which the Sens outshot Utica 11-10. Belleville came close to tying the game on a good net drive by Garrett Pilon, and post hits by Jorian Donovan and Wyatt Bongiovanni, but Poulter remained perfect.
The Sens came even closer halfway through the third, with a shot from the left circle by Philippe Daoust that beat Poulter but rang the inside of the right post, and then barely hopped over the stick of Xavier Bourgault on the rebound. Utica would hold on for the second half of the period to take the narrow win.
Utica and Belleville will shift scenes to CAA Arena tomorrow night for the rematch at 7 p.m.
See game highlights here.
