By: Kenny Kaminsky | Follow me on Twitter/X @KennyKaminsky
After a fantastic weekend that resulted in two wins, which extended their winning streak to six games, the Providence Bruins were eager to keep that momentum going into the Christmas break. The Baby B’s faced off against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Wednesday and had a day off before finishing their weekend with a home-and-home series against their Connecticut rivals, the Hartford Wolfpack. Several storylines surrounded the team as they prepared for battle this week. Matthew Poitras was on a six-game goal streak, while Vinni Lettieri and Georgii Merkulov aimed to extend their seven-game point streaks.
The game against Lehigh Valley started flawlessly, with Poitras, Merkulov, and Lettieri extending their scoring streaks early on the power play. Riley Tufte doubled the Bruins’ lead five minutes into the second period. Unfortunately, early in the third period, the Baby B’s gave up three goals within six minutes, allowing the Phantoms to take a 3-2 lead. Luckily, Providence College alum Riley Duran found the back of the net to tie the game at three. Just 14 seconds into overtime, Phantom forward Olle Lycksell scored, ending the Bruins’ winning streak. It was a challenging game that overshadowed the Bruins’ dominance throughout the match.
On Friday, the Bruins traveled to Hartford, Connecticut, to face off against the Hartford Wolfpack. This game proved much more favorable for the Baby B’s, as they effectively shut down the New York Rangers affiliate, allowing only 21 shots on goal. Michael DiPietro made impressive saves, securing his second shutout of the season. The Bruins won the game 1-0, thanks to a goal from Tyler Pitlick. Providence, however, was persistent, firing 43 shots on goal. They faced an exceptionally talented Hartford goalie, Dylan Garand, who is statistically just behind DiPietro in the league rankings. Both goalies are among the top ten in the league.
Providence’s final game before the break started poorly. The team conceded the first two goals, and Brandon Bussi struggled to find his footing early on. The defense did not provide much support either. Fortunately, Georgii Merkulov connected with Vinni Lettieri late in the period, cutting the Wolfpack’s lead in half. The period ended with a scuffle that resulted in 14 penalty minutes being assessed to Trevor Kuntar, giving the Wolfpack a power play to start the next period.
They took advantage of this opportunity and scored early, extending their lead to 3-1. Brandon Bussi showed signs of his earlier struggles with rebound control. Once again, the Bruins scored a late-period goal as Patrick Brown whacked one past Hartford netminder, Louis Domingue, with Poitras and Lettieri providing the assists. The Bruins could not capitalize on their chances in the third period, while Hartford sealed the win with an empty-net goal, concluding the game at 4-2.
Despite the disappointing ending to the weekend, there is much to appreciate about this team’s recent performance. Georgii Merkulov and Vinni Lettieri are among the top 15 players in the league in points. Matthew Poitras has been a tremendous asset, improving significantly after a rough start in the minors. Fabian Lysell has also been performing substantially better since the beginning of the season. In addition, Michael DiPietro ranks as one of the top-five goalies in the league, with DiPietro and Bussi having recorded two shutouts each.
Catch the Providence Bruins next Friday, December 27th, as they take on the Bridgeport Islanders in Bridgeport. The Baby B’s are undefeated against the Isles this season, as they boast a 6-0-0 record. This team continues to excite the fans, and they expect big things in the new year.
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