The second period saw many goal lights go off, though it was all Senators. Hard battles down low in the Utica zone led to Wyatt Bongiovanni feeding Tyler Boucher, who used his body well right in front to bury his fifth point in five games and tie the contest at 2-2. Two minutes later, Belleville added another tally to the scoreboard. A keep-in by Tomas Hamara at the blue line allowed the Senators to work the puck up high, with a shot from Lassi Thomson getting on net and Xavier Bourgault potting home the rebound to give Belleville a 3-2 edge. The Senators added one more goal before the final frame. Off a two-on-one, Stephen Halliday used deception to sauce the puck over a defender’s stick for Arthur Kaliyev, giving Belleville a 4-2 cushion.
The third period saw the Comets make a push of their own. A low-to-high pass from Lachance allowed Ethan Edwards to fire a point shot, creating a rebound for Legare, who cut the game to 4-3. Late in the period, Utica was able to knot the score once again. A mad scramble in front of the Senators’ net saw Brian Halonen chip in his eleventh of the year, forcing overtime.
The extra frame, though hectic and full of chances for the Senators, solved nothing, and a shootout was needed.
It went right down to the final skater for Belleville after Xavier Parent scored to keep the shootout alive. Arthur Kaliyev had a chance to win it, and he did exactly that, beating Nico Daws for the extra point and a 5-4 victory.