( Above Photo Credit:  NHL .com )

By: Mark Allred         Follow Me On Twitter @BlackAndGold277 

Bruins Prospect Update Dec. 3rd-Dec. 9th 2017

American Hockey League – Providence Bruins

The Baby B’s played in three games last week going 3-0 and continue their unbeaten streak to five games. The week started in Bridgeport, Connecticut at the Webster Bank Arena on Sunday, December 3rd with an afternoon game against the Sound Tigers and walked away with a 4-1 victory. Bruins got goals from Austin Czarnik with his sixth at 17:32 of the second period assisted by Anton Blidh. At the 0:21 mark of the third period Colton Hargrove got his seventh goal assisted by Jordan Szwarz and Austin Czarnik. Newcomer and resident tough guy Sena Acolatse with his first goal as a Bruin at 6:52 of the third from Blidh and Tommy Cross. Ending the night with an empty-netter at 18:37 of the third and second goal of the game was Czarnik assisted by Jakub Zboril. Goaltender Zane McIntyre stopped 26 of 27 shots for his seventh win of the season.

On Friday night December 8th the Baby B’s started game one of three at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island against the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Bruins went back and forth with the Wolf Pack team, but in the end, the better team got it done in the shootout-winning 4-3. Bruins goals scored by Colby Cave with his third of the season at 12:11 of the second period assisted by Zach Senyshyn and Kenny Agostino. Rookie Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson added his seventh at the 12:19 mark of the 2nd from Anton Blidh and recently called up from the ECHL Atlanta Gladiators Ben Marshall. Speedy veteran Jordan Szwarz got his eighth of the year at the 19:20 mark of the third period from Colby Cave and Forsbacka-Karlsson. Third-year pro Austin Czarnik had the shootout winner to send the 7,802 fans home happy. Bruins goaltender McIntyre got his eighth win of the season stopping 33 of 36 shots and continued his winning streak to three straight games.

The final game of the week was on Saturday, December 9th once again at the Dunk in Providence when the Utica Comets came to town for back-to-back home games. This was another tight back and forth night, but the Baby B’s came out with the 3-2 overtime victory. Bruins goals by Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson his eighth of the season at 2:03 of the second period assisted by Rob O’Gara and Jakub Zboril. Former Quinnipiac University defenseman Connor Clifton with his first goal of the year and shorthanded tally at the 16:33 mark of the third period from Austin Czarnik. Top five in points on the year Jordan Szwarz was the hero in the extra frame scoring his ninth at 3:19 of overtime from Czarnik and Agostino.
Bruins goaltender on-loan Jordan Binnington got the win in net stopping 34 of 36 shots to increase his record to 6-1-1 and his fourth straight victory. Binnington has a 1.84 goals-against-average, and .933 save percentage in eight games played this season since coming over from the St. Louis Blues organization at the beginning of the season.

Support Your Baby B’s!!!

If you’d like to watch tomorrow’s stars today, I highly suggest you take advantage of the cheap tickets and family atmosphere that’s available at every Providence Bruins home game at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence,  Rhode Island.  You can get ticket information and other great info by clicking HERE to enter the official Baby B’s website.

Also, if you do happen to go and support the team at the Dunk, be sure to stop by the Providence Bruins Fan Club table behind sections 101 and 102. Fantastic season ticket holders and Fan Club volunteers Jenna Labush, Rhonda Labush, and Steven Labush are always there with other valued members to help with any information and questions. You can also use the address below or visit the Official Fan Club page on the Providence Bruins website by clicking HERE.

Providence Bruins
Fan Club

PO Box 40963
Providence, RI 02940
401.426.8277

East Coast Hockey League – Atlanta Gladiators

Goaltender Dan Vladar appeared in three games last week and walked away with a 2-1 record. On Sunday, December 3rd the 2015 third round pick stopped 50 of 51 shots for his fifth win of the season against the Orlando Solar Bears. His next victory came on Wednesday night December 6th when he stopped 23 of 24 shots against the Jacksonville IceMen for his sixth win of the year. His two-game winning streak came to a crashing halt on Friday night December 8th when the Greenville Swamp Rabbits beat the Gladiators by the score of 4-3 stopping 34 of 38 shots on goal. Vladar now has a 6-6-1 record with a 2.85 goals-against-average, and .911 save percentage in 14 games played so far this season.

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – Saint John Sea Dogs

Center Cedric Pare played in three games last week and snapped a four-game pointless streak with an assist on Saturday night December 9th in a 5-2 loss to Acadia-Bathurst. The late round pick of the B’s has moved up from a bottom six role to a top six and should increase his offensive productivity with higher expectations as he gains more trust from Sea Dogs Head Coach Josh Dixon.

Western Hockey League – Brandon Wheat Kings

Kings defenseman and Bruins 2017 seventh-round draft pick Daniel Bukac returned to his Brandon team playing in three games last week after a long recovery from offseason surgery. He had four shots on goal in those games but went pointless as he adjusts to the riggers of the blue line in the tough WHL.

NCAA Men’s Hockey

Cameron Hughes – University of Wisconsin

The 2015 sixth-round pick of the B’s played in two games last week both against the University of Notre Dame. On Friday night December 8th he had got his seventh goal of the season but failed to get on the scoreboard the following night. In 21 games this season the senior center has 7-8-15 numbers as Captain of his Badgers team.

Jeremy Swayman – University of Maine

The Bruins fourth-round selection in 2017 has been playing well in his first season with the Black Bears and certainly seeing a lot of rubber. Playing in two games last week the Anchorage, Alaska native appeared in both games against the Quinnipiac Bobcats with a 7-4 victory on Friday, December 8th and a 5-3 win on Saturday, December 9th. In both games combined the freshman faced 95 shots on goal and increased his overall record this season to 7-3-1 with a 2.58 goals-against-average and .927 save percentage.

Swayman was voted last week’s Hockey East Player of the Week and was also added to the preliminary roster for the upcoming 2018 World Junior Championships set to kick off on December 26th from Buffalo, New York. He’s currently on a three-game winning streak and is 4-1 in his last five contests.