After a hard faught battle on Saturday night to open the 2025-26 season, the Senators looked to bounce back as they made their way to Bridgeport, Connecticut, for a Sunday matinee matchup to conclude the opening road trip.
Belleville had an outstanding start on Sunday afternoon, opening the scoring through Tyler Boucher’s first of the campaign, just over a minute into the game. Boucher’s goal was assisted by Stephen Halliday and Arthur Kaliyev, who each picked up their second assists in as many games.
The Islanders countered a couple of minutes later when Marshall Warren’s shot snuck low between the legs of goaltender Hunter Shepard, making his Belleville Sens debut.
Bridgeport took its first lead of the afternoon a little over a minute later, when Cole McWard scored for the second time in two games.
Belleville tied it up again at 17:19 when Carter Yakemchuk took a pass from Halliday in the right circle and snapped his first career AHL goal past Parker Gahagen.
Sens captain Garrett Pilon earned the second assist. But the tie would only last about two minutes, with Hunter Drew putting Bridgeport back up 3-2 at 19:18. The Senators were outshot 15-11 in the opening frame.
The teams traded chances in the second period, with the Sens outshooting the Isles 9-7, but both goaltenders were perfect in the period.
Both teams had their chances, but it would be the Islanders to extend their lead with eight minutes remaining. With the Senators adding an extra attacker and an empty cage, the Islanders would seal the deal with two empty netters, for the final score of 6-2.
The Sens return home to CAA Arena next Saturday, October 18, 2025, when they welcome the rival Toronto Marlies for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop. Fans can meet their favourite players before the game with the red carpet arrivals starting at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the Belleville Sens Box Office or Ticketmaster.ca.
(BROCK ORMOND)
