Belleville Senators endured a frustrating night at the CAA Arena, falling 3–0 to the Utica Comets in a contest defined by clinical finishing and a milestone debut.
The spotlight was firmly on young forward Blake Montgomery, who made his professional debut for the Senators. Having recently signed a three-year entry-level contract with Ottawa following a standout year at the University of Wisconsin, Montgomery registered two shots on goal in an industrious first appearance.
However, it was a former Senator who stole the headlines. Angus Crookshank broke the deadlock midway through the first period, utilizing his size to cut inside and fire home his 22nd of the campaign. The Comets doubled their lead in the second through Matyas Melovsky’s sharp-angle strike, before Crookshank struck again on a three-on-two rush to record his 23rd of the season and his 100th career AHL goal.
Despite a spirited push in the final stanza, Belleville were unable to solve Comets goaltender Jakub Malek, who turned aside all 25 shots to record his third shutout. At the other end, Senators netminder Kevin Reidler finished his own AHL debut with 26 saves.
The Senators now turn their attention to a season-ending home-and-home series against the Syracuse Crunch, starting this Friday in Belleville.
