By: Tim A Richardson | Follow Me On Twitter @TimARichardson
Week 13 of the AHL season is, and the Providence Bruins skate into it 14-6-1 (29 points). That is good for first in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the American Hockey League. Our boys in black and gold are coming off a week that saw them fall to 4-1 before losing to Hartford 3-1. They have three big games to end the season coming up that you won’t want to miss. Also, don’t forget about their game later today!
The hockey action kicks off on Saturday, May 1, 2021, when the Providence Bruins travel to Hartford, Connecticut, to take on the Wolf Pack at the XL Center. The action continues on Monday, May 3, 2021, when our boys in black and gold travel to Bridgeport, Connecticut, to take on the Sound Tigers at the Webster Bank Arena. The season wraps up on Thursday, May 6, 2021, when the Hartford Wolf Pack travel to Marlborough, Massachusetts, to take on our Bruins at the New England Sports Center. It’ll be a fun week of hockey you won’t want to miss.
Saturday, May 1, 2021 (AWAY), and Thursday, May 6, 2021 (HOME) Providence Bruins vs. Hartford Wolf Pack
The Saturday and Thursday matchups mark the 11th and 12th of 12 the two division foes will have this season. The first matchup is one the Providence Bruins would like to forget. They ended up getting shutout 4-0. Goalie Dan Vladar would stop 20 of the 22 shots fired his way. Our boys in black and gold tried to solve the Hartford netminder, but they had all 25 shots on goal stopped.
The second matchup was much more fruitful for the Providence Bruins. They would win 5-2. Oskar Steen, Cameron Hughes, Brady Lyle, Joona Koppanen, and Zach Senyshyn would score for Providence. For Lyle, it was his first career AHL goal, and he would also get an assist in the game which, ended up being his first career AHL point. Rookie netminder Jeremy Swayman was superb in net stopping 34 of the 36 shots he faced.
The third matchup saw the Providence Bruins come out on top 4-2. Zach Sensyhyn, Jack Ahcan, Jakub Lauko, and Anton Blidh scored goals for Providence. For Ahcan, it was his career AHL goal. He has had a great start to his season. Rookie netminder Jeremy Swayman was on top of his game, stopping 27 of the 29 shots he faced.
The fourth battle between the division foes saw Providence come out on top 4-2. Brady Lyle and Samuel Asselin would score from the Bruins. For Asselin, it was his first career AHL hat-trick. Goalie Dan Vladar stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced in the victory.
The fifth meeting saw the Bruins fall 3-2 in overtime. Cameron Hughes and Robert Lantosi scored goals for the Providence Bruins. Jack Ahcan also dished out his sixth assist of the season. Netminder Dan Vladar stopped 21 of the 24 shots he faced in defeat.
The sixth battle saw the Providence Bruins come out on top 5-2. Jakub Lauko (2), Anton Blidh, Karson Kuhlman, and Cameron Hughes scored goals for the Bruins. Rookie goalie Jeremy Swayman was excellent again, stopping 26 of the 28 shots he faced.
The seventh chapter of the season series saw the Bruins come out on top 6-1. Paul Carey, Alex-Olivier Voyer (2), Joel Messner, Samuel Asselin, and Jakub Lauko scored for Providence. Kyle Keyser was excellent in net stopping 27 of the 28 shots he faced.
The eighth battle saw the Wolf Pack beat our Bruins 4-2. Robert Lantosi and Anton Blidh scored for Providence. Rookie netminder Jeremy Swayman stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced.
The ninth chapter in the season series saw the Bruins lose 6-1. Tommy Cross scored the only Providence goal. Kyle Keyser had a rough day in net, stopping 31 of the 37 shots he faced.
The tenth battle saw our Providence Bruins fall 3-1. Paul Carey scored the only goal for Providence. Netminder Dan Vladar would stop 33 of the 31 shots fired his way.
The Hartford Wolf Pack are 11-8-1 (23 points) on the season. That is good for second in the Atlantic Division and 13th in the American Hockey League. The Wolf Pack have given the Bruins a fit this season. Providence is 5-4-1 against the Rangers’ affiliate. Despite the close head-to-head results, Providence is still the better overall team. Hartford is scoring 3.5 goals a game while giving up 3.05 goals a game. They also have a +9 goal differential. Our boys in black and gold are scoring 3.14 goals a game while only giving up 2.28 goals a game. They have a +18 goal differential.
Those numbers may not tell the entire story, but it paints a pretty good picture of how different the two teams are. Hartford has to try and out-score you every game because of their defense. Providence, on the other hand, is more defensive and has elite goaltending. That combination can shut teams down. The Bruins, however, can also out-score you if they need to with their offense. Given how the season series has played out, I’d expect both of these games to be very close.
Monday, May 3, 2021, Providence Bruins vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers (HOME)
The Monday matchup will mark the 12th and final meeting the two rivals will have this season. The first battle saw the Bruins come away victorious 4-1. Rookie netminder Jeremy Swayman was superb in net for Providence. He stopped 26 of the 27 shots fired his way. The one goal he let up was a power-play goal that got deflected multiple times. Hard to fault him for that.
Zach Senyshyn, Alex-Olivier Voyer, Samuel Asselin, and Robert Lantosi scored for the spoked P. For Voyer and Asselin; it was their first career AHL goals. Top prospect Jakub Lauko started hot with two assists in the game. Meanwhile, rookies Jack Achan and Nick Wolff recorded their first career AHL points. Each had an assist.
The second meeting was a little less one-sided, but the Providence Bruins still came out on top 5-3. Rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman had a quality game stopping 17 of the 20 shots fired his way. Cooper Zech, Robert Lantosi, Jakub Lauko, Cameron Hughes, and Joona Koppanen scored for the Providence Bruins. Jakub Lauko and rookie Jack Achan would contribute two assists each on the scoresheet.
The third matchup was an absolute defensive slugfest. The Providence Bruins would go on to win 1-0. The only goal came in the third period when Zach Senyshyn buried a pass from Paul Carey. Both goalies were playing out of their minds. Providence netminder Dan Vladar would stop all 24 shots he faced. On the other end of the ice, Bridgeport goalie Jakub Sharek stopped 36 of 37 shots in the loss.
The fourth battle between division foes saw the Providence Bruins fall 3-2. Brady Lyle and Joona Koppanen scored goals. Forward Matt Filipe registered his first career AHL point assisting on the Koppanen goal. Netminder Dan Vladar went on to stop 27 of the 30 shots faced in the loss.
The fifth meeting saw the Providence Bruins come out on top 4-1. Oskar Steen (2), Robert Lantosi, and Karson Kuhlman scored for the Bruins. Rookie netminder Jeremy Swayman was superb in goal. He stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced in the victory.
The sixth battle saw the Providence Bruins come out victorious 3-0. Matt Filipe, Zach Senyshyn, and Karson Kuhlman (EN) scored goals for Providence. For Filipe, it was his first career AHL goal. Rookie netminder Jeremy Swayman was sensational again, stopping all 25 shots he faced for his first career AHL shutout.
The seventh installment of the season-long series saw the Providence Bruins win 5-2. Brady Lyle, Robert Lantosi, Pavel Shen, and Tommy Cross (2) scored for Providence. Callum Booth got his first start for our boys in black and gold. He stopped 36 of the 38 shots he faced.
The eighth battle saw Providence emerge victorious 3-2 in overtime. Matt Filipe, Alex-Olivier Voyer, and Oskar Steen scored goals for the Bruins. Rookie netminder Jeremy Swayman had an excellent bounce-back game stopping 28 of the 30 shots he faced.
The ninth chapter of the season series saw the Providence Bruins come out on top 2-1. Eduards Tralmaks and Brady Lyle scored for the Bruins. For Tralmaks, it was his first career AHL goal. Kyle Keyser was excellent in net, stopping 26 of the 27 shots he faced.
The tenth battle saw the Sound Tigers beat the Bruins 4-1. Samuel Asselin scored the only goal for Providence. Netminder Dan Vladar stopped 25 of the 28 shots fired his way. Don’t miss the 11th game of the season series later today!
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are 6-13-1 (13 points) on the season. That is good for third in the Atlantic Division and 28th in the American Hockey League. This matchup has proven fruitful for the Bruins all season. Providence is 8-2 against the Islanders’ affiliate on the year. They are scoring 2.4 goals a game while giving up 3.6 goals a game. They also have a -24 goal differential. I’d expect the final matchup of this series to go Providence’s way and for Bridgeport’s woes to continue.
My Players To Watch This Week
Up Front
Zach Senyshyn: Zach Senyshyn has had a superb season with Providence when he’s played and been healthy. The young forward has a ton of speed and scoring ability. Many people believe he deserves a legitimate shot in Boston, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough to get that shot. In 14 games with the Bruins, he’s netted six goals while dishing out five assists for 11 total points. Look for him this week.
On The Blue Line
Jack Ahcan: Jack Ahcan has played well for Providence. It is his first professional season. The young defenseman spent the past few seasons at St. Cloud State University, the last of which he served as team captain. He’s a puck-moving defenseman who can play in all zones. In 15 games, he’s netted one goal while dishing out eight assists for nine total points. Look for him this week.
In Net
Dan Vladar: Dan Vladar has taken a bit of a step back this season from last, but he’s still played well overall. He spent some time in Boston due to COVID protocols and injuries. This season, the young netminder is 2-4-1 with a 2.16 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. Vladar still has a ton of potential and could end up in the NHL soon. Look for him this week.
As the season comes to its end, the Providence Bruins have many reasons to be excited. Their offense, defense, and goaltending were superb this season, and there are quite a few players to watch going forward with excitement. Once the season officially closes, I will recap the season and give my players to watch going forward. Feel free to send me any questions or comments on Twitter. As always, GO, Bs, GO!
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