By Kenny Kaminsky | Follow me @KennyKaminsky
After a resilient rebound from a tough loss Friday night against the Laval Rocket, the Providence Bruins had a quick turnaround last night as they hit the road to take on the Bridgeport Islanders. There were a few lineup changes as defenseman Ian Mitchell cleared waivers and was a late addition to the lineup. Goaltender Michael DiPietro was also named the starter since Brandon Bussi played in the season opener the night before. These changes contributed to the 3-2 win over the Islanders.
The Bruins once again demonstrated a strong start as Vinni Lettieri sniped a shot right over Islander goalie Marcus Hogberg to put Providence up 1-0. To kick off the second period, the Islanders put together a few solid shifts and capitalized on a two-on-one, where Pierre Engvall would trickle one past the sliding DiPietro. Around halfway through the game, Michael Callahan made a beautiful rink-wide pass to spring Jeffery Viel, who wristed one under Hogberg’s glove. Shortly after, Brian Pinho would score a backbreaking shorthanded equalizer. Luckily, newcomer Jordan Oesterle would put the icing on the cake in the third with a wicked wrist shot.
Jordan Oesterle had another fantastic offensive game, leaving his mark. Jordan currently leads the team with three points in two games. Vinni Lettieri scored another stunning goal. He’s done a great job leading Providence to start these games on the right foot while giving his goalie a little cushion early on. Michael DiPietro was fabulous tonight as he turned away 28 of 30 shots. He looked night and day different from his preseason play. DiPietro looked confident, making fantastic saves. Michael was the main reason Providence held off the surging Islanders.
To update everyone on the situation with the Bruins’ top prospects, Georgii Merkulov had another top-notch assist on Vinni Lettieri’s opening goal. Merkulov has two points in two games, but I want to see more. Georgii creates so much havoc for the opponent when the puck is on his stick in the neutral and offensive zone. His issue is simple: the puck has not been consistently on his stick. It’s hard to fathom how many more points Merkulov could have if he could hold the puck for a few strides longer. His pairing with Lettieri is something to watch because they have been firing on all cylinders to begin the season.
Fabian Lysell played another solid game without putting up a point. He again utilized his speed to create chances for himself and his teammates. Against Laval, Lysell had a few great chances but just ran out of space. Last night, we saw the same thing where Lysell makes a good move and turns on the jets but cannot finish. Fans and staff anxiously await when it all comes together for Fabian and Georgii because Providence will become ten times harder to beat when it does.
The Bruins played a decent game, but I would not call it a full 60-minute performance. Get ready to catch Providence’s next game in Springfield against the Thunderbirds next Saturday at 7 pm EST, where Boston Bruins National Anthem Singer Todd Angilly will perform the Star Spangled Banner pregame. It’s a game you won’t want to miss!
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