By: Kenny Kaminsky | Follow me on Twitter/X @KennyKaminsky
After a hectic week filled with significant changes for the Boston and Providence Bruins, the P-Bruins are preparing for a northern road trip. On Wednesday, the team will travel to the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto to face the Marlies. Then, on Friday, they will head south to the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester to compete against the Americans. The Baby Bruins will conclude their week at the MassMutual Center, where they will take on a familiar rival, the Springfield Thunderbirds. Michael DiPietro and Brandon Bussi will once again split starts as they aim to maintain their successful rhythm heading into the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The team has undergone several notable changes preparing for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, the P-Bruins have lost forwards Max Jones and Marc McLaughlin and traded defenseman Drew Bavaro in a minor league deal. On a positive note, the Bruins have improved their offensive skills by adding top prospect Fraser Minten and former UMass Amherst captain Jake Gaudet. On defense, they added former Edmonton Oilers 7th-round pick Max Wanner and former New Jersey Devils 3rd-round pick Daniil Misyul. While these additions are significant, the team will need to wait for Minten and Misyul.
The team has made another notable move by releasing forward Tristan Ashbrook from his professional tryout (PTO) after just two games. Ashbrook recorded one point during this short stint, with a stat line of 0-1-1. His only point came against the Springfield Thunderbirds last Sunday. The former Michigan Tech Husky has been on PTO with four American Hockey League teams this season.
Lastly, Matthew Poitras and Riley Tufte have been reassigned to Providence and will join the team on their upcoming road trip. Poitras performed exceptionally well during his brief stints in the minors this season. Although some key players from the Providence Bruins are currently in Boston, Vinni Lettieri, Patrick Brown, Ian Mitchell, and newcomer Marat Khusnutdinov will be eligible to participate in the Calder Cup Playoffs after the conclusion of the NHL season.
The Providence Bruins faced off against the Toronto Marlies this past Friday and achieved a dominant 5-1 victory at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The team received scoring contributions from across the lineup. In an impressive second period, the P-Bruins scored four consecutive goals, prompting the Marlies to pull their goaltender, Artur Akhtyamov. Oliver Wahlstrom had a standout performance, recording a hat trick in a much-needed win for the fanbase. They will look for a similar performance on Wednesday.
On Saturday, the Providence Bruins will face the Rochester Americans in Rochester. In their last matchup, Providence defeated the Amerks 3-0 at home, with Michael DiPietro delivering an outstanding performance by saving all 29 shots he faced. Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov each contributed two points in that victory. The Baby B’s took some time to figure out the Buffalo Sabres’ top goaltending prospect, Devon Levi, so they will need another stellar performance on defense to secure the two points.
The Springfield Thunderbirds have posed a significant challenge for the Providence Bruins this season, with the Bruins holding a 4-5-1 record against them. In their most recent matchup this past Saturday, the Thunderbirds secured a 2-1 victory, largely thanks to goaltender Colten Ellis. He made an impressive 39 saves out of 40 shots and has consistently performed well against the Bruins this season.
Catch the Providence Bruins this Wednesday as they face off against the Toronto Marlies at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto. The team aims to secure every point possible to improve their position in the Atlantic Division standings. The puck drops at 7:00 PM on Flo Hockey.
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