The Belleville Senators exploded offensively and helped a rookie goaltender win his American Hockey League debut, as they walloped the Toronto Marlies 8-4 at CAA Arena on Wednesday night.
Alex Dubeau was called up from the ECHL Brampton Beast, with Filip Gustavsson in Ottawa and Joey Daccord injured and he made 19 saves on 23 shots for his first AHL win.
13 Senators had points including Nick Baptiste, Filip Chlapik, Max Lajoie, Jordan Szwarz, Josh Norris, Mike Carcone, Darren Archibald and Morgan Klimchuk, who all scored, as Belleville tied a franchise record for goals in a game.
The victory also sets a new franchise mark for wins in a season at 38.
Miikka Salomaki, Scott Pooley, Matt Read, Egor Korshkov countered for Toronto, with Joseph Woll stopping 21 saves on 29 shots.
Belleville looked to get things started inside the opening minute when Alex Formenton crashed the Toronto net and appeared to squeeze one past Woll, but it was waived off on a goaltender interference call.
The Senators limited the Marlies to just one shot through the first 5:00 minutes and opened the scoring at 6:58.
Parker Kelly fed a pass from behind the net to Klimchuk, who quickly got it over to Baptiste in the slot and he redirected the puck past Woll who was out of position on the play.
It was Baptiste’s fourth goal of the season, his first as a Senator and it came against his former team.
They would make it 2-0 on a goalmouth scramble at 8:51 when Chlapik pounced on a rebound in front.
Joseph LaBate and Darren Archibald assisted on Chlapik’s eighth goal of the season.
Toronto would get one back before the end of the period with Salomaki getting credit for his seventh of the season, while shorthanded, after a lengthy review.
Belleville Senators defenceman Christian Wolanin carries the puck around the net, during a game against the Toronto Marlies at CAA Arena, on March 4, 2020. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
The second period saw plenty of action with a total five goals in the frame.
The Marlies tied it at 5:07 after an incredible paddle save by Woll, on Jordan Szwarz, as he sprawled across and rolled over to keep the puck out with his stick.
Toronto would quickly carry it back the other way and Pooley would beat Dubeau with a wrist shot from a tough angle.
But Belleville got back in front on a wacky play with Lajoie wandering in deep and throwing the puck in front of the Toronto net.
It bounced off the stick of Michael Kapla and past Woll, with Norris and Vitaly Abramov credited with assists.
The B-Sens would reinstate the two-goal lead courtesy of Szwarz, after he settled down a hard pass from Carcone and slipped it low past Woll to make it 4-2.
The Belleville push back continued when they increased the lead to 5-3, after Drake Batherson banked a pass in off of Norris, who got credit for his 31st of the season at 14:24.
The Sens would get an unfortunate break with Formenton getting called for tripping, while going in on a breakaway and Read would count one in tight on the ensuing power play to cut the Belleville lead back to two.
Belleville Senators forward Josh Norris scraps with Mac Hollowell of the Toronto Marlies, during a game at CAA Arena, on March 4, 2020. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
Toronto shrunk the lead to one again inside the first 4:00 of the third period after Formenton tried to make a fancy play in his own zone, with the puck bouncing back to Korshkov, who fired a long wrist shot past Dubeau to make it 5-4.
Carone would give Belleville another two-goal lead at 5:54 after chasing down the puck off the near boards and burying an unassisted goal, beating Woll under the blocker.
Norris got involved in some rough stuff as well, having a spirited scrap with Mac Hollowell, after a scuffle near the Toronto net and finished the night with a “Gordie Howe hat trick” notching a goal, an assist and a fight.
Archibald’s goal would come at 14:30 and made it 7-4, after Aspirot barrelled his way to the net, the puck got knocked loose and Archibald picked it up and slid it home.
The Sens would tack one more on with Parker Kelly racing to a loose puck and feeding Klimchuk to make it 8-4.
Dubeau says the fact that Belleville’s offence is so effective made him more comfortable in his debut.
He added that he’s not trying to get ahead of himself during his stint in the AHL.
Senators Coach Troy Mann weighed in on Dubeau’s performance saying he thought his goalie may have been a bit nervous, but he Dubeau put together a solid performance.
Mann says overall he was happy with his team’s five-on-five play, but the penalties killed a lot of the momentum and game flow.
Belleville continues its three game home stand with back-to-back games against the Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres) on Friday and Saturday, with the Amerks trailing the B-Sens by 10 points for the North Division lead.
800 AM CJBQ’s coverage both games begins at 6:50 p.m. for Eastern Overhead Doors and Deerhaven Farm and Garden.
You can click here to see the game sheet from Wednesday night and watch highlights from the game below.
