By: Tim A Richardson | Follow Me On Twitter @TimARichardson
Week ten of the AHL season is here, and the Providence Bruins skate into it 11-6-3-1 (26 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 fall to Belleville 4-1, beat Springfield 3-0, and defeat Toronto 5-1 before beating Bridgeport 2-1 in a shootout. The spoked P has three games coming up you will not want to miss.
The hockey action starts on Friday, December 17, 2021, when the Providence Bruins travel to Laval, Quebec, Canada, to take on the Laval Rocket at Place Bell. The action continues on December 18, 2021, when the Providence Bruins travel to Belleville, Ontario, Canada, to take on the Belleville Senators at the CAA Arena. Finally, the week wraps up on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, when the Providence Bruins travel to Syracuse, New York, to take on the Crunch at the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial. Don’t miss out on the action!
Friday, December 17, 2021, Providence Bruins vs. Laval Rocket (AWAY)
The Saturday matchup is the second 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. In the first meeting, the Bruins fell 4-0. Callum Booth stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced.
The Laval Rocket are 11-10-2 (24 points) on the season. That is good for fifth in the North Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference. The Montreal affiliate has a high-powered offense, scoring 3.39 goals a game. The problem is they also give up 3.52 goals a game. Over the past five seasons, this is a matchup that has given the spoked P a bit of trouble, going 3-3-0-3 in that time frame. At any rate, it should be an exciting game given the Montreal affiliation!
Saturday, December 18, 2021, Providence Bruins vs. Belleville Senators (AWAY)
The Friday matchup marks the second of two that Providence and Belleville will have this season. In the first battle, the Bruins fell 4-1. Jack Studnicka scored for Providence. Kyle Keyser stopped 30 of the 34 shots he faced.
The Ottawa affiliate skates into the game 11-11 (22 points). That is good for sixth in the North Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference. The reason why they only play two games against each other is the fact that they are in different divisions. Belleville’s main issue this season has been their defense. They give up 2.86 goals a game while scoring 2.90. Over the past five seasons, this has been an even matchup. The Bruins are 3-3-1 in that time frame. It should be an excellent game!
Wednesday, December 22, 2021, Providence Bruins vs. Syracuse Crunch (AWAY)
The Wednesday matchup marks the first of two with the North Division foe. The Syracuse Crunch skate into the game 8-10-2-1 (19 points). That is good for seventh in the North Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference. The Tampa Bay affiliate has a tough time scoring, with only 2.90 goals a game. Their defense has a hard time stopping the puck, giving up 3.42 goals a game. The key in most of their wins is grabbing an early lead. The Crunch are 3-1 when leading after the first period and 4-1 when ahead after two. This matchup can give the Bruins fits. They are only 3-3 against Syracuse over the past five seasons.
My Players To Watch This Week
Up Front
Eduards Tralmaks: Eduards Tralmaks came to the Providence Bruins last season after spending four years at the University of Maine. He’s a quick skating forward with lots of offensive ability. This season, he’s split time between the Maine Mariners in the ECHL and the Providence Bruins. In two games with the Mariners, the young forward netted four goals while dishing out three assists for seven total points. In 13 games with Providence, he’s found the back of the net twice while tallying three assists for five total points. Look for him this weekend!
On The Blue Line
Victor Berglund: The Boston Bruins drafted Victor Berglund in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft. Since then, the young defenseman spent most of his time playing in his home country of Sweden. This year, Berglund played in three games in the ECHL, with Maine scoring one goal and dishing out three assists for four total points. Berglund is a two-way defenseman with more defensive upside than offensive. The young defenseman also got his first point of the season Sunday. Look for him this weekend.
In Net
Kyle Keyser: Kyle Keyser has had an up and down season for Providence. He has spurts where he looks spectacular. If Keyser gains more consistency, the young goalie will be great. In 12 games, he’s 4-5-3 with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. He also registered his first shutout of the season this past weekend against Springfield. Look out for him.
The Providence Bruins bounced back from their COVID outbreak nicely, getting points in three of four games. Our boys in black and gold are starting to come together as a team and play to their ability. I fully expect them to continue to play excellent hockey. I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season. Feel free to send me any comments or questions on Twitter. As always, GO, Bs, GO!
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