Story by Matt Tidcombe/Belleville Senators
(Photo/Belleville Senators)
Chris Terry scored the overtime winner as the Belleville Senators lost 4-3 to the Laval Rocket Friday at Place Bell.
The Sens had goals from Gabriel Gagne, Ben Sexton and Jack Rodewald while Danny Taylor made 26 saves. Eric Gelinas had a hat-trick for Laval with Zach Fucale turning aside 28 shots.
Terry won the game on the power at 2:03 after the Sens took a too many men on the ice penalty as Terry wired a shot past Taylor that the Sens goaltender didn’t even see.
It took the teams more than half the game to get the scoring started, and when they did, they combined for three goals in a 1:44 span.
Belleville opened the scoring through Gagne’s 18th of the year as he magically worked his way past the Laval defence before having his inital shot blocked but tucked in the rebound for his fourth goal of the year in his hometown at 11:43
However, the Sens’ lead would last just 22 seconds as Gelinas’ one-timer beat Taylor after Michael McCarron cleanly won a faceoff.
But the Sens re-took the lead at 13:27 as Sexton wired a wicked wrister on the power play past Fucale for his ninth of the year and third goal on the man advantage.
It took just 1:57 for the Senators to push its lead to 3-1 as Rodewald finished off a pretty tic-tac-toe play with Sexton and Filip Chlapik for his eighth of the season.
Gelinas’ second of the night came on the power play at 4:39 of the third as he again let a one-timer rip that beat Taylor to cut the Sens lead to 3-2.
Things got physical late as Gagne was hit along the boards by Niki Petti forcing an ensuing scrum that saw Gagne, Pat Sieloff and Nick Paul drop the mitts.
But the Rocket tied it with 1:53 to play in regulation on another Gelinas one-timer after Fucale had been pulled to send the game to overtime.
The Sens outshot Laval 10-8 in the first but couldn’t find a way past Fucale with Ethan Werek and Tyler Randell coming close towards the end of the frame from in close but Fucale’s left pad stood firm.
The two teams will square off again tonight (Saturday) at 7pm from Place Bell. CJBQ’s broadcast begins at 6:50. Belleville returns home March 16 when they host the Toronto Marlies.
An interview by CJBQ’s Jack Miller with the Senators Jack Rodewald can be heard by clicking below.
