Just like the BSens recent set of games this post is a 3-in-3. I was able to catch the first game live, but the other two were caught on replay. Like a lot of bad teams the BSens are on a bit of a streak (for them), going 5-4-1 through March, which ties the most points in any month this season (January) with two games in hand. While the org is likely telling itself this is a sign that the ship is righting, it’s simply an expected consequence of playing meaningless games late in the season.
Speaking of the org, its love affair with bringing back former members of the roster (Chris Kelly, Joe Corvo, etc) continues, as they picked up Utica castoff David Dziurzynski–Dizzy failed out of the DEL last year (50-11-6-17) and after struggling with Florida in the ECHL (19-2-1-3) he spent almost a third of the season accomplishing just as little with the Comets (27-3-3-6). I like Dizzy, but just like Eric Selleck he doesn’t move the needle in terms of helping the team. Speaking of the roster, it’s worth noting Andrew Hammond was re-assigned by Colorado to their affiliate (San Antonio) rather than to Belleville, and Filip Gustavsson (who started against Laval on Sunday) has taken his old number, so he won’t be back. The four-headed monster in goal remains unchanged.
Boxscore
Shots: 27-33
PP: 0-2
PK: 2-3
Scoring chances: 10
Key saves: 6
The Goals
1. Werek intercepts the puck at the blueline and scores with a low wrist-shot
2. Toronto – bang in a rebound (Leier and Murray slow on coverage)
3. Toronto PP – great passing (Selleck asleep on coverage)
4. Toronto – 3-on-2 against (Reinhart lazy on the backcheck) with the high man scoring through traffic
5. Toronto – bang in their own rebound (fourth line embarrassingly running around ineffectively)
6. White bangs in Pokka’s rebound
Notable plays: Sieloff gets crushed resulting in a fight (Marlie knocked out; first); Werek scores after the whistle (second)
Belleville 4, Toronto 2
Boxscore
Shots: 31-33
PP: 0-5
PK: 4-4
Scoring chances: 10
Key saves: 5
The Goals
1. Murray scores from the top of the slot (defenseman tipping his shot)
2. Reinhart scores in the slot
3. Toronto – Leier doesn’t collapse down low leaving a Marlie open to bang in a pass from behind the net
4. Toronto – score on a 5-on-2 rush
5. Moutrey scores from a terrible angle
6. White with a shorthanded empty-netter
Notable plays: O’Brien misses the net on a 2-on-1 (first); Murray down in pain after a hit (stayed in the game; first)
Belleville 8, Laval 2
Boxscore
Shots: 32-39
PP: 2-4
PK: 3-4
Scoring chances: 15
Key saves: 5
The Goals
1. Laval – Lajoie turns it over and Laval scores through Burgdoerfer
2. White SH deke on a breakaway
3. Pokka PP – Reinhart misses an empty-net but Pokka bangs in the missed shot
4. Pokka PP – after a 5-on-3 expires he scores with a low shot from the top of the circle
5. Laval PP – Sieloff is slow to get into position leaving his check wide open to deflect in a point shot (Burgdoerfer’s check was also open in front, but the shot didn’t go to that side)
6. Jaros – just as the powerplay expires he scores on a low one-timer
7. Dziurzynski – bangs in a rebound
8. Leier is gifted an empty net by White on a 3-on-1
9. Selleck scores off a Pokka rebound
10. Pokka with the hat-trick as his point shot trickles in
Notable plays: Randell fumbles the puck in front of the net and can’t get a shot (first); Selleck jumps a guy (Gregoire) and a bruha breaks out (third)
Three different goaltenders played in what were three similar games. Each ‘tender made a similar number of key saves and the goals they gave up were also quite similar (results of bad coverage), so what was the difference? The game Hogberg lost was also the game the BSens lost the special teams battle–it’s also the game they had the fewest shots, fewest powerplays, and fewest goals. I feel like I need to dig deeper on Hogberg than I did in my prospect review because while he was giving up some bad goals earlier in the season it seems like he’s also been quite unlucky–I need to do the digging before I can be definitive about it (maybe it is as simple as he’s struggling to adapt to the smaller ice or he’s not as good against the game that’s played on it).
As for the newly minted Filip Gustavsson: he really didn’t have much to do in the Laval game. The Rocket fired a lot of shots, but didn’t have many great chances. The most noticeable thing was he was calmer in net than Hogberg, but it’s one game, so I’d take that assessment with a grain of salt.
The eight-goal outburst against the hapless Rocket is the biggest output of the season for Belleville (two more than the previous high, their 6-2 win over Leigh Valley in November). It’s one of those games where virtually everyone was racking up points so the notable performances were: Ville Pokka‘s (whom resident genius Kurt Kleinendorst banished to the second unit PP the previous game despite him improving the team’s lackluster powerplay) and Colin White. The first-rounder has been enormously inconsistent offensively this season, although some of that can be blamed on bizarre usage. As for Pokka, the points are an important part of him getting a new contract (with Ottawa or someone else).
A number of streaks were broken:
-the second unit PP scored for the first time since January (thanks to Pokka), a streak lasting a mindboggling 22-games
-Pokka’s first goal (goals) as a BSen (16 games in)
-Lajoie’s first PP point since December
-Murray’s first PP point since January (he broke a 13-game pointless streak in the win over Toronto)
-Jaros broke an 11-game goalless drought
-Werek had his first assist (assists) since January (as well as his first multi-point game)
-Moutrey had his first point since being acquired (taking him 8-games)
-the team scored multiple PP-goals for the first time since February 19th (5-4 loss to Utica)
-the scoring chances in the Laval game were the most since February 9th (7-4 loss to Toronto)
A successful weekend of sorts, although all the annoying idiosyncrasies of the season. It’s interesting that Kleinendorst has been ramming Ryan Scarfo down the throat of the lineup given his general reluctance with talented prospects (pressure from above perhaps?). I haven’t been impressed with the bulk of the additions (old or new), but it has been nice to have Christian Jaros back, albeit with limited ice time.
This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)
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