By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
After a six-game road trip in which the Providence Bruins won four of the games, the team returned two days ago to kick off a four-game home stand against the Springfield Thunderbirds. After defeating the Thunderbirds in a shootout, the Bruins now welcome the Toronto Marlies, the defending Calder Cup champions. An early-season showdown against the defending champions will be tough, but the Bruins are slowly regaining confidence.
The Bruins host the Marlies at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island, with puck drop scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET. Today is the first of two meetings this season between the Bruins and Marlies, and the only one in Providence. After today, the Bruins and Marlies won’t meet again until February in Toronto.
The Bruins ended their road trip this past Wednesday with a 4-2 win over the Charlotte Checkers at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, then returned home last night to face the Thunderbirds. In a nail-biting game, the Bruins prevailed 3-2 in a shootout. The Bruins led 2-0 after two periods, with goals from defenseman Jordan Harris and forward Alex Steeves. The Thunderbirds scored two third-period goals against Bruins goaltender Jiri Patera to tie the game at two.
After a scoreless overtime, the game went to a shootout. After the teams tied through two rounds, Steeves scored, and Patera made a save in round three to give the Bruins the win. Patera finished with 19 saves to earn his fifth win of the season. With Friday’s win, the Bruins are 4-2 in November and now sit at 8-8. The Bruins trail the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins by one point for the Atlantic Division’s fourth seed. The Bruins have continued to play well after starting the season 2-6.
A Look at the Opponent
The Marlies currently sit in third place in the North Division with an 8-4-3-0 record after 15 games. The Marlies won 3-2 in their last game against the Syracuse Crunch at Upstate Medical University Arena this past Friday in Syracuse, New York, snapping their two-game losing streak on forward Vinni Lettieri’s overtime winner. The Marlies have finished their last three games in overtime.
Forward Brendan Brisson leads the Marlies with eight goals and 17 points. Forward Logan Shaw leads the Marlies with 12 assists, and his 16 points are second on the team. Lettieri’s 11 points are third on the Marlies. Samuel Hlavaj and Artur Akhtyamov have formed a solid goaltending duo this season. Hlavaj has won five games and has posted a 2.56 GAA and a .901 save percentage in seven games, while Akhtyamov has a 2.85 GAA and an .876 save percentage in eight games.
Last Season’s Dominance Against Toronto
The Bruins swept their two games against the Marlies last season, outscoring them 9-4. In the second meeting on Jan. 25 in Providence, Harris scored 41 seconds into overtime to help the Bruins win. If the Bruins want to continue their hot November, today’s game against the Marlies is pivotal to maintaining their momentum.
Leave a Reply