Senators strike early and often, ending the Moose's six-game surge. Despite a late comeback, Manitoba couldn't overcome Belleville's relentless offense.
The Manitoba Moose saw their six-game winning streak come to an end mid-day Tuesday, falling 5-2 to the Belleville Senators during the team’s school game. It was a rough start for the Moose, who struggled to find their footing against a high-pressure Belleville squad.
Starting goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis faced a barrage of shots, making 31 saves on 35 attempts, while the Moose were unable to break through former Ottawa Senators netminder Mads Sogaard, who stopped 31 of 33 Manitoba shots.
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Belleville struck early, with the game’s first goal coming mid-way through the first period. Jamieson Rees capitalized on a rebound in front of the net for an easy tap-in, putting the Moose behind. Things quickly snowballed three minutes later on a five-on-three power play when Arthur Kaliyev extended the Senators’ lead to 2-0 just seconds before the penalty expired. Belleville wasn’t done, though. As the period wound down, Oskar Pettersson pounced on a loose puck along the goal line to make it 3-0 heading into the second.
Manitoba finally found some momentum early in the second period. A strong forecheck forced the puck behind the Senators’ net, allowing Parker Ford to connect with a pass from Walker Duehr and beat Sogaard to cut the deficit to 3-1. The Moose pressed their advantage on the power play, but Belleville’s defense and goaltending held firm.
The third period saw the Moose battle back once again as defenseman Kale Clague’s top-shelf shot narrowed the score to 3-2, giving Manitoba hope. That hope was short-lived, however, as Pettersson struck again to restore Belleville’s two-goal cushion at 4-2 with just under 10 minutes remaining. Manitoba continued to push, but an empty-net goal sealed the 5-2 defeat.
Even in defeat, standout performances emerged as Walker Duehr has been productive lately, putting up five points in his last four games. Jaret Anderson-Dolan has contributed six assists over six matches, while Moose captain Mason Shaw has added four points in his past five appearances.
The Moose will look to bounce back and regain their winning momentum in the second leg of their back-to-back against Belleville on Wednesday. Fans can catch the action live on AHL.TV via FloHockey.tv or listen on 680 CJOB. Tickets are also available at moosehockey.com/tickets/
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