The Belleville Senators couldn’t play the role of spoiler last night, falling to the pesky Utica Comets 3-0 in their first game after losing out on the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs this past weekend.
The Comets made good of their latest chance to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with their sixth win of the season series and the second straight shutout.
Both teams went back and forth in the opening period, before Utica kicked off the scoring through former B-Sen Angus Crookshank.
The North Vancouver, British Columbia native carved and sliced through the Belleville defence and beat Kevin Riedler, making his debut in the B-Sens crease, for the 1-0 Comets lead.
The Comets rolled their way into the second with Matyas Malovsky scoring on a bank play from behind the Belleville goal line and Crookshank barreling into the Belleville zone to whip a laser past Riedler.
Belleville’s best chance in the first two periods came on a Utica giveaway to Keean Washkurak that led to a sharp shot and a right pad save by Jakub Malek.
The third came with a group of opportunities for the Sens, but the Comets’ Czech-born goaltender was stellar in combination with his defence in keeping the hosts at bay, making 25 saves to earn the shutout.
Reidler made 26 saves in a solid AHL debut following his stint with Penn State University.
Other debuts came from Blake Montgomery, fresh off an NCAA championship win with the Wisconsin Badgers, former Brandon Wheat King Luke Mistelbacher and a first home appearance from ex-Cornell Big Red Hoyt Stanley.
The Sens will send off their crowd with Fan Appreciation Night on Friday versus the Syracuse Crunch at 7 p.m. at CAA Arena, the first of a back-to-back to close out the 2025-26 season.
