Sens’ netminder Merilainen steals win over Springfield Thunderbirds

Sens’ netminder Merilainen steals win over Springfield Thunderbirds

The Springfield Thunderbirds (14-20-4-2) fired a season-high 40 shots on the net of the Belleville Senators (19-18-7-0) but could not find a goal, dropping a hard-fought 1-0 decision before a sellout crowd on Saturday night inside the MassMutual Center.

Senators shut out Thunderbirds

The Belleville Senators blanked the Springfield Thunderbirds 1-0 on Saturday. Jan Jeník scored Belleville’s only goal, while Leevi Merilainen made 40 saves in his first shutout of the season. The Senators scored their one and only for the night midway through the first period. Neither team was able to score for the remaining two periods, despite both teams taking many shots on the net. The Senators are back in action on Friday, when they hit the…