Breaking Records in Belleville

Expectations we're high coming into 2020-2021 for the AHL's Belleville Senators, and the baby Sens lived up to the hype. Belleville is fresh off breaking an EHE AHL Regular season record with 119 points (59-12-1), surpassing Lehigh Valley's 2015-2016 total of 118.

The Senators regular season dominance in just about every statistical category speaks for itself; most notably, a +110 goal differential, and two 13 game winning streaks. Belleville leads the league in GF with 286, while allowing the fewest GA with 175. The Sens lead the AHL in total shots (2587), and TOI/OZ (24:17), as well as PP %, clicking at 23.2% on the man-advantage.

Some ridiculous stats from Belleville's player personnel this season:

Forward Logan Brown is first on league scoring with 78 points, while veteran Center Michael Chaput is tied for 2nd at 76. Both are tied for first in assists with 52. Senators Matt Irwin, Kevin Stenlund, Chaput, Nikolai Prokhorkhin, Michael Stone, and Logan Brown make up the top 6 in AHL plus minus. Belleville is on track to have 6 players finish with 60 or more points, and 7 players with 20 or more goals. On the back end, Stone, Irwin, Ness, and Clendening all have 30 or more points. Goalie Mikhail Berdin sits 1st in wins, with an absurd record of 40-4-1, a %.920, and a 2.20 GAA.

With some critics calling the Belleville stacked with "4th line NHL tweeners", the Senators GM had this to say:

"Year to year AHL success is an obtainable and reasonable goal for any organization in the league. We all operate under the same CBA, and as GM's, we are equally responsible for our success at the AHL level. Our goal is to compete for a Calder Cup every single season."

Down the stretch, Belleville relied more heavily on the top 6 of Brown, Chaput, Stenlund, Prokhorkhin, Jones, and Smith up front. AHL leading scorer Logan Brown made the switch to wing, to form a deadly duo alongside two-way pivot MIchael Chaput. The move allowed Gemel Smith to make the most of his offensive abilities with Max Jones and Nikholai Prokhokhin on his wings. It will be interesting to see if these lineup adjustments stick in the playoffs, or if ice time will be more spread out.

Regardless of a record-breaking regular season, Belleville's true test will be in the 2021 post season. In the meantime, Belleville will hope to remain healthy over their remaining 4 games on the schedule.

Best of luck to everyone down the home stretch!