The Belleville Senators extended their point streak to six games and their win streak to four, after beating the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4-3 in overtime, at CAA Arena on Friday night.
Rudolfs Balcers had two goals for Belleville, in his first game of the season after a preseason injury, with Vitaly Abramov and Morgan Klimchuk also scoring.
Marcus Hogberg made 21 saves to extend his personal winning streak to four as well.
The Senators carried the pressure and momentum through the first 5:00 but dealt with a physical Bridgeport defence and it was the Sound Tigers who would go ahead first.
With Abramov in the penalty box Oliver Wahlstrom hammered a one-timed slap shot from the top of the near circle, over the glove hand of Hogberg, to make it 1-0 Bridgeport at 10:37.
Abramov would make up for the penalty on a Belleville power play about 8:00 later.
He came off the bench and parked himself at the blue line, took a pinpoint stretch pass from Jordan Murray and raced in to tuck a backhand along the ice, past Christopher Gibson, to tie the game.
The B-Sens took the lead a little over a minute later when Morgan Klimchuk crashed the net and the puck bounced in off his chest, putting Belleville ahead 2-1.
Belleville Senators forward Morgan Klimchuk reaches for the puck, during a game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at CAA Arena, on November 15, 2019. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
The only real action of the second period was a Bridgeport game tying goal at 15:38.
Arnaud Durandeau got a touch of a Sebastien Aho point shot and it squeezed past Hogberg and trickled over the line.
It was 2-2 after two periods.
Bridgeport would go ahead again on another power play goal at 11:38 of the third period after some more excellent work by Wahlstrom.
He hit the post on another shot from the near circle, then picked up the rebound and faked a wrist shot, before feeding Andrew Ladd on the far side, who tapped it into an open net.
Ladd is now the second-highest paid player in the American Hockey League, making about $5.5 million per season, after clearing waivers from the New York Islanders.
But the B-Sens battled back again and tied the game 3-3 at 16:42, when a Christian Jaros shot pinballed around the net and Balcers knocked it in at the near post, to force overtime.
A late Sound Tigers hooking penalty would carry into overtime and prove costly.
B-Sens captain Jordan Szwarz carried the puck in on the right wing side and sent a pass across to Drake Batherson, who tapped it back to Balcers and the Latvian sniper powered home a slap shot to win the game.
Belleville Senators forward JC Beaudin takes a faceoff against Bridgeport Tigers forward Cole Bardreau, during a game at CAA Arena, on November 15, 2019. (Photo: Jason Scourse / Belleville Senators)
Balcers told Quinte News after the game that he was excited to get back into game action and be able to make a difference.
Coach Troy Mann says he thought his group was the better team and deserved the victory, adding that while Belleville has earned all eight wins in one goal games, that is adding to the confidence of his young group.
Belleville is back in action on Saturday night when they welcome the Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators) for the first ever meeting between the two clubs.
Mann says its always exciting when a team from the western conference comes to town, but his group needs to stay focused.
It’s Hockey Fights Cancer night at CAA Arena with various fundraisers and initiatives taking place to support the Canadian Cancer Society.
Tickets are available at the Belleville Senators website, or at the CAA Arena box office, with 800 CJBQ’s coverage starting at 6:50 p.m., presented by Eastern Overhead Doors and Deerhaven Farm and Garden.
You can click here to see the box score from Friday night and see highlights from the game below.
