By: Kenny Kaminsky | Follow me on Twitter/X @KennyKaminsky
The Providence Bruins demonstrated their resilience after the setback against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Saturday night. They quickly regrouped for a rematch at their home, the Amica Mutual Pavillion. The team’s all-around performance led to a 3-0 victory over the T-Birds. As I mentioned in my previous recap, the veterans of this team needed to step up, and they did so admirably, guiding the young players.
Once again, the Baby Bruins showcased their unity and collective effort, starting the game on a solid note. Jordan Oesterle scored his team-leading fifth point of the season on a one-time feed from Fabian Lysell, a perfect example of the team’s coordination. The Bruins then doubled their lead with a beautiful tic-tac-toe play, culminating in Vinni Lettieri scoring his team-leading third goal of the season. The team entered the locker room with a 2-0 lead, a testament to their combined efforts.
The Bruins’ offense was a force to be reckoned with in the second and third periods, dominating the game. Despite their persistent efforts, they couldn’t beat T-Birds goalie Colten Ellis, who managed to keep them at bay. However, the Baby B’s maintained their pressure in the third period, smothering the Thunderbirds. The newly named captain, Patrick Brown, sealed the victory with an empty-net goal. The Providence Bruins evened up the season series 1-1 against their division rival, showcasing their dominance.
The T-Birds looked sluggish out of the gate, which is to be expected as this was their last game of a three-in-three, a grueling schedule where a team plays three games in three consecutive days. They played in three different arenas as well. That sluggishness persisted as they were a step behind Providence all night. To the Bruins’s credit, they were hard to play against, laying the body every chance possible and fighting out in front of the net, making shots easy to see for goalie Michael DiPietro. This game was a complete 60-minute performance for the Baby B’s.
A hot-button topic in hockey is whether Fabian Lysell deserves a call-up. Despite his excellent offensive game today, in which he even tallied an assist, he was hot-headed and impulsive. He took three penalties tonight, demonstrating that his maturity might be an issue. Two of these penalties were roughing in retaliation for getting hit. With five minutes left in the game, he would have an abysmal turnover in the offensive zone, which led to a Thunderbirds breakaway; luckily, DiPietro was up to the task, making a massive glove save to keep the T-Birds scoreless. The good is being weighed down by the bad for Fabian.
Michael DiPietro’s performance this season has been nothing short of incredible. Yesterday, he was a solid wall, turning away all 24 shots from the T-Birds. This is a different goalie from the one we saw in the net for Boston this preseason. He exudes confidence and remains unfazed by any challenges during the game. His 2-0 record this season is a testament to the strong goalie pipeline in Boston, even after the departure of Linus Ullmark. Fans can look forward to his future performances for Providence with great anticipation.
Yesterday’s game was truly magnificent; although fans still await the younger guys to step up and make an impact, the veteran-heavy lineup continues to carry. You can feel the excitement in the AMP at the end of the game once we saw the Bruins play a complete game. They will need to maintain that level of play this Thursday as the Providence Bruins take on the two-time reigning champion Hershey Bears at home, a game that will test their current form and provide a great spectacle for the fans.
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