By: Tim A Richardson | Follow Me On Twitter @TimARichardson
Week 19 of the AHL season is here, and the Providence Bruins skate into it 29-9-7-2 (67 points). That is good for first in the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference. Our boys in black and gold are coming off a successful week that saw them defeat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4-3 in a shootout before beating the same Penguins 3-1. The Providence Bruins have three games this weekend, do not miss the action.
The hockey action starts Friday, February 17, 2023, when the Springfield Thunderbirds travel to Providence, Rhode Island, to take on the Bruins at the Amica Mutual Pavillion. The action continues Saturday, February 18, 2023, when the Providence Bruins travel to Hartford, Connecticut, to take on the Wolf Pack at the XL Center. The action wraps Sunday, February 19, 2023, when the Springfield Thunderbirds travel to Providence, Rhode Island, to take on the Bruins at the Amica Mutual Pavillion. Do not miss these games.
Friday, February 17, 2023, and Sunday, February 19, 2023, Providence Bruins vs. Springfield Thunderbirds (HOME, HOME)
The Friday and Sunday games mark the sixth and seventh games of 12 that the two teams will have this season. The first battle saw the Bruins win 4-3. Georgii Merkulov, Josiah Didier, Vinni Lettieri, and Luke Toporowski scored for Providence.
The second battle saw the Bruins win 4-3 in a shootout. John Beecher, Luke Toporowski, and Vinni Lettieri netted goals for Providence.
Providence lost the third matchup 3-2 in a shootout. Vinni Lettieri found the back of the net for the Bruins.
The Bruins won the fourth matchup 3-2. Fabian Lysell, Luke Toporowski, and Joey Abate scored for Providence.
The fifth battle saw the Providence Bruins win 2-1. Vinni Lettieri and Justin Brazeau scored goals for Providence.
The Springfield Thunderbirds skate into the matchup 24-17-1-4 (53 points). That is good for fifth in the Atlantic Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference. The St. Louis affiliate went to the Calder Cup Finals in 2021-2022, losing to the Chicago Wolves. The Providence Bruins had a 5-5-1-1 record against Springfield last season. Over the past five years, they have a 24-13-4-2 record, including 10-7-3-1 at home. These rivalry games are usually chippy affairs. Expect physical games between two teams who dislike each other.
Saturday, February 18, 2023, Providence Bruins vs. Hartford Wolf Pack (AWAY)
The Saturday game marks the eighth of ten games that Providence and Hartford will have this season. The first battle saw the Bruins win 3-1. Josiah Didier, Jack Ahcan, and Jakub Lauko scored for Providence. Keith Kinkaid was superb; he stopped 46 of the 47 shots he faced.
The second battle saw the Providence Bruins lose 3-1. Joona Koppanen scored the lone goal for Providence with assists from Jack Ahcan and Michael Callahan.
The third matchup saw the Bruins win 3-2. Justin Brazeau, Marc McLaughlin, and Vinni Lettieri scored goals for Providence.
The fourth game saw the Bruins win 5-3. Jakub Lauko, Vinni Lettieri, Luke Toporowski, Marc McLaughlin, and Oskar Steen scored goals for Providence.
The fifth battle saw the Bruins fall 4-3 in overtime. Vinni Lettieri (2) and Connor Carrick scored goals for Providence.
The sixth game between the two teams saw the Bruins fall 2-1 in overtime. Justin Brazeau scored for Providence.
The Bruins would win the seventh game of the season series 4-2. Chris Wagner, John Beecher, Georgii Merkulov, and Joona Koppanen scored for Providence.
The Hartford Wolf Pack skates into the matchup 19-19-3-6 (47 points). That is good for sixth in the Atlantic Division and tenth in the Eastern Conference. Last season, Providence went 6-1-1-2 against Hartford. Over the past five seasons, Providence has a 24-16-6-2 record against the Pack, including 12-8-2-2 on the road. The Hartford Wolf Pack gives up a whopping 3.17 goals a game while only scoring 2.85. They have a -15 goal differential on the year. The Providence Bruins give up 2.57 goals a game, boasting one of the better defenses in the AHL. Providence also scores 3.02 goals a game while having a +21 goal differential. Despite that, division matchups are always taxing, and this one should be no different.
My Players To Watch This Weekend
Georgii Merkulov is having an excellent rookie season with the Providence Bruins. The young forward has been one of Providence’s best offensive weapons all season. In 43 games, Merkulov has netted 14 goals while dishing out 21 assists for 35 total points. He’s been even better as of late, registering a point in seven of his last nine games, including a five-game goal-scoring streak. Look for him this weekend.
Fabian Lysell is another player having a fantastic rookie season for the Providence Bruins. Lysell came into the season as one of the top prospects in Boston’s organization; he has not disappointed. In 31 games, he netted ten goals while dishing out 16 assists for 26 total points. That includes a five-game point streak. Look for him this weekend.
Kyle Keyser is having a good bounceback season. The young goalie has split time between the Maine Mariners in the ECHL and the Providence Bruins. In 11 games, he is 7-0-2 with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. Look for him this weekend.
The Providence Bruins are playing some excellent hockey. They are in a great position to make a deep run in the playoffs this season. I hope everyone enjoys the games this weekend. Feel free to send me any comments or questions on Twitter. GO BRUINS!
Leave a Reply