Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
With points in eight consecutive games, the Belleville Senators are tightening the playoff race in the North Division.
Coming off a 20-game winning streak of just four (4-12-4-0), the Senators are 6-0-2-0 since Jan. 10. The club saw a change of leadership on December 17 when Andrew Campbell took over as interim coach. The roster has seen 63 trades this season — 21 of which came in January alone. Only three players – forward Keean Washkurak and defenders Cameron Crotty again Jorian Donovan – have worn all 44 games this season. Goals Mads Søgaard, Hunter Shepard again Leevi Meriläinen continue to circulate between Belleville and Ottawa. Injuries and setbacks have disrupted the program.
And now the Senators are in the teeth of a seven-game road trip that ends with a crucial four-division tie, at Cleveland this Friday and Saturday and at Rochester and Syracuse next week.
However, they are there, in the middle of the qualifying race for the North Division where the top six teams in this division are separated by only eight points.
Last week, Belleville picked up three of four points from the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, returned to the third round with a 3-2 win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and collected a hard-earned point in a 2-1 overtime loss at Providence. Meriläinen then served up a 40 shutout to wrap up the first leg of the road trip to Springfield.
“Thanks to the boys for finding a way,” Campbell said after the 1-0 win over the Thunderbirds.
Belleville has fewer games remaining (28) than any other team in the league, so all points matter from here on out. A productive weekend against sixth-ranked Cleveland could give the Sens some breathing room; sputter and return out of the play picture.
It’s all familiar territory for Belleville, a team that always finds itself in the playoffs in the second half. Last season they missed the postseason by all of two points. In 2023-24, they won eight of their last nine games to clinch a playoff spot.
Off-season signing Arthur Kaliyev had a tough season, tying for the AHL lead in goals (26) and points (46). Lassi Thomsonback in the Ottawa organization after a one-year stint in the Swedish Hockey League, leads all AHL defensemen with 11 goals. Stephen Halliday has become a regular fixture in Ottawa after making his NHL debut in November. And Belleville’s special teams have been sharp, including a power play that ranks fifth in the league overall (23.1 percent) and starting on home ice (31.1 percent).
A team that blocks shots, pays the price and wins tough games. And they made their head coach proud.
“The boys found a way,” added Campbell. “The effort is unbelievable. I’m really proud of the boys.”
In the American Hockey League for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams and currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league’s top scorer in 2016.
