B-Sens begin three-game road trip in Toronto as playoff chase continues – Belleville Sens

Belleville Sens Game Day Build-Up
Apr.10/24 @ Toronto Marlies (NHL Affiliate: Toronto Maple Leafs)            

The Set-Up/Playoff Picture:

The Belleville Senators are down to their final six-game stretch of the 2023-24 regular season, and they still control their playoff fate, as they embark on a three-game road trip that will stop in Toronto tonight and Rochester later this week. The B-Sens have won three games in a row, including back-to-back home ice victories over Springfield and North-leading Syracuse last weekend and enter this week still tied with Laval for the division’s final playoff spot. They’re also just three points back of tonight’s opponent, the Toronto Marlies, who are battling for seeding and trying to fight their way into the division’s top three, behind Syracuse (1^st), Rochester (2^nd), and Cleveland (3^rd). The full playoff picture can be found via the American Hockey League’s Playoff Primer.

Previous History:

Tonight’s game concludes the 10-game regular season series between Belleville and Toronto, with the Senators already winning the season series on points, currently holding a 5-3-0-1 record. Belleville went 3-1-0-1 over five home games against the Marlies this season, with a 2-2-0-0 record so far at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. Over 75-lifetime meetings with the Marlies, the Senators are 36-32-2-4, with an all-time road record of 19-14-2-1. Despite winning more games in the season series, Belleville has been outscored by Toronto 28-25 over their first nine games of the campaign.

Roster Notes:

There have been no transactions for the Senators since Saturday’s win over Syracuse, though a handful of B-Sens players still remain with the NHL club in Ottawa. Boko Imama, Jiri Smejkal, Angus Crookshank, and Matt Highmore are all among the players who have dressed for Belleville this season but are currently on recall. A complete list of recent transactions can be found here. Belleville’s injured list just includes Tyler Boucher, Phil Daoust, and Roby Jarventie, who are all out long-term. Full lineup details, including tonight’s alignment, will be available prior to puck drop via the B-Sens social media channels (@BellevilleSens).

Who to Watch:

Two B-Sens players are carrying three-game point streaks into the week, including Cole Reinhardt (two goals, two assists) who was a key factor in Belleville’s offence last weekend, and Nikolas Matinpalo (three assists), who is on his first career AHL point streak….