By: Tim A Richardson | Follow Me On Twitter @TimARichardson
Week two of the AHL season is here! The Providence Bruins skate into it 1-0-0-1 (3 points). That is good for third in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference. Our boys in black and gold are coming off a week that saw them beat the Bridgeport Islanders 2-1 in a shootout before falling to the Hartford Wolf Pack 4-3 in a shootout. The spoked P has three big games this weekend that you will not want to miss.
The hockey action starts on Friday, October 22, 2021, when the Providence Bruins travel to Utica, New York, to take on the Comets at the Adirondack Bank Center. The action continues on Saturday, October 23, 2021, when the Laval Rocket comes to town to take on the Bruins at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Finally, the action wraps up on Sunday, October 24, 2021, when the Springfield Thunderbirds come to Providence to take on the Bruins at the Dunk. It’s a hockey-packed weekend that you don’t want to miss.
Friday, October 22, 2021, Providence Bruins vs. Utica Comets (AWAY)
The Friday matchup with the Utica Comets is the first of four that the two teams will play this year. The Bruins generally do not play them much during the regular season because they are in a different division. The New Jersey affiliate skates into the matchup 1-0 (2 points). That is good for first in the North Division and second in the Eastern Conference. Last season, the Comets and Bruins played one game against each other. Providence came out on top in that contest 6-2.
Over the past five seasons, this has been a favorable matchup for our boys in black and gold. Providence is 8-1 against Utica in that time frame. This year’s matchup could be a little different. Last season Utica was affiliated with Vancouver, and this season they are with New Jersey. However, the spoked P still holds an 11-4-1 record over the past five seasons against Devils’ affiliates. So it’s a matchup they should win!
Saturday, October 23, 2021, Providence Bruins vs. Laval Rocket (HOME)
The Saturday matchup is the first of only two that Laval and Providence will play this season. The Montreal affiliate is another North Division foe. That accounts for the number of meetings the two teams will have. The Rocket skate into the matchup 2-1 (4 points). That is good for third in the North Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference. Over the past five seasons, this is a matchup that has given the spoked P a bit of trouble, going 3-2-0-3 in that time frame. At any rate, it should be an exciting game given the Montreal affiliation!
Sunday, October 24, 2021, Providence Bruins vs. Springfield Thunderbirds (HOME)
The Sunday battle marks the first of 12 that the Bruins and Thunderbirds will play this season. Springfield is a fellow Atlantic Division rival. The St. Louis affiliate skates into the matchup 2-0 (4 points). That is good for second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference. This rivalry has been a hard-fought one over the years. The games are generally chippy and very close. Over the past five seasons, the Bruins hold a 24-14-4 record against Springfield. You do not want to miss this game!
My Players To Watch This Weekend
Up Front
Jack Studnicka: Jack Studnicka was a second-round draft pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. After a stellar first professional season in 2019 that saw him net 23 goals while dishing out 26 assists for 49 total points in 60 games with Providence, he shot up the Bruins’ prospect rankings. The young forward had a rough 2020-2021 season, spending time in both Boston and Providence. Studnicka has started this season off with a bang, netting one goal and dishing out one assist for two total points in his first two games. Look For him this weekend.
On The Blue Line
Brady Lyle: Brady Lyle came to the Bruins as an undrafted free agent after a successful career in the OHL. While in the OHL, the young defenseman scored .59 points per game. That ability followed him to Providence. In 25 games, he netted seven goals while dishing out seven assists for 14 total points. That’s good for .56 points per game. Look for him this weekend.
In Net
Kyle Keyser: Kyle Keyser had a pretty successful first weekend of the year. He came on in relief in the second period of game one because of injury and played spectacularly. His second game wasn’t as sharp, but the young goalie still played well. Overall he went 1-0-1 with a 1.64 goals-against average and .932 save percentage. Look for him to keep it up this weekend.
After a successful first week of the season, the Providence Bruins will look to build upon that in week two. They have three big games against opponents that should ultimately win. I would look for them to grab at least four of six points on the weekend. I hope everyone is excited for week two! Feel free to send me any comments or questions on Twitter. As always, GO, Bs, GO!
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