By: Kenny Kaminsky | Follow me on Twitter/X @KennyKaminsky
Tonight, the Providence Bruins lost to their in-division rival, Springfield Thunderbirds, by a final score of 4-2 in Patrick Brown’s first game as the P-Bruins captain. The Thunderbirds were playing their second game of a three-in-three. The Baby Bruins looked to build on their previous game, where they beat the Bridgeport Islanders 3-2 last Saturday. Coach Ryan Mougenel pushed his team hard this week and emphasized getting shots to the net, as they only had a combined 34 shots in their first two games.
The Bruins played very well in the first period. They controlled the play defensively, only giving up one big scoring chance that goaltender Brandon Bussi turned away. Unfortunately, T-Birds defenseman Corey Shueneman fired one from the point, scoring a backbreaking goal with 53 seconds remaining in the period.
The second period started as planned as Fabian Lysell buried a beautiful goal on the breakaway to knot it up 1-1. Just over a minute later, the T-Birds would retake the lead as the puck sat loose in the crease before being whacked home. Just halfway into the game, the Thunderbirds took control as they scored back-to-back goals to take the lead 4-1. Luckily, the Bruins scored a late goal as John Farinacci slid one past T-Birds goalie Colten Ellis to cut the lead in half right before intermission.
The third period was back-and-forth, as Providence maintained pressure all period long except for one shift, during which Fabian Lysell and Vinni Lettieri had awful turnovers right in front of Bussi. Brandon was up to that task and made two spectacular saves to keep the Baby B’s in it. The Bruins had many great opportunities but could not capitalize, and the game would end in a 4-2 loss.
Despite the challenging loss, the P-Bruins showed resilience, playing a strong 55-minute game. Bussi, who has given up nine goals in his first two games of the season, needs more support on these goals. Statistically, it may look bad, but his performance tonight was a bright spot, making numerous outstanding saves. This resilience is a hopeful sign for the team’s future performances.
Coach Mougenel significantly changed the lineup, adding Fabian Lysell to Georgii Merkulov and Vinni Lettieri’s line. This change would be a good move, as they created offense all night but could not find the twine. Tonight was an off-game for this line, and they still played well, so fans should be excited to see them when they are on their game. One critique I have is the amount of turnovers Lysell and Merkulov make. Both do very well winning battles but then throw the puck away. Three of Lysell’s turnovers resulted in scoring chances for the T-Birds. Merkulov’s turnovers primarily come in the offensive zone, which stunts the scoring significantly.
The Providence Bruins have a quick turnaround as they take on the Springfield Thunderbirds tomorrow at 3:05 at the Amica Mutual Pavillion. The team’s best players must take control as they look to even up the series. The team is very young, and it will take a few games for the young guys to adjust to the professional game. However, the potential and skill they demonstrate are apparent, and with time, the Bruins can put it all together, giving fans reasons to be optimistic.
Leave a Reply