The Belleville Senators accomplished what no other AHL team had done this season: they scored a goal in Syracuse on Saturday night. Beyond that, they secured a 7-4 victory over the Crunch.
Syracuse opened the scoring early, as Cooper Flinton converted a rebound past Belleville goalie Leevi Merilainen just over five minutes into the game. Belleville responded quickly during a power play when Arthur Kaliyev scored his second goal of the season on a one-timer from the right circle, assisted by Stephen Halliday. Around four minutes later, Wyatt Bongiovanni netted his fourth of the season to put the Senators ahead 2-1 at the end of the first period.
The second period featured an intense flurry of goals, with four scored within the first 6:05. Syracuse tied the game within the first minute through Jakob Pelletier on a rebound. However, Bongiovanni restored the lead less than a minute later by scoring his second goal on a precise wrist shot past goalie Brandon Halverson. Xavier Bourgault then extended the lead with his fourth goal of the season on another power play at 4:52.
"The Belleville Senators did something on Saturday night that no American Hockey League team had done yet this season: score a goal in Syracuse."
Overall, the Senators displayed a dynamic offensive effort that led them to this notable road win.
Author's summary: The Belleville Senators made history by scoring in Syracuse for the first time this season and dominated with a 7-4 victory thanks to multiple timely goals and strong power play execution.