By: Kenny Kaminsky | Follow me on Twitter/X @KennyKaminsky
After a challenging road trip filled with setbacks, the Providence Bruins are aiming to get back on track this week as they face their first three-in-three of the season. The team will host the Bridgeport Islanders on Friday at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The following day, they will travel to the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to take on the Islanders again. Finally, they will return to the AMP for a Sunday matinee against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Fans are hopeful as the P-Bruins look to rebound from their early season struggles.
Providence enters this game ranked seventh in the Atlantic Division with three wins and six losses. The Bridgeport Islanders are tied with the Bruins for last place in the division, holding a record of two wins, six losses, and one overtime loss. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses. The Laval Rocket defeated the Baby B’s on Sunday with a final score of 6-3. Providence squandered numerous opportunities and played with minimal urgency, making it a brutal way to end their season’s first road trip.
Meanwhile, the Bridgeport Islanders lost to the Springfield Thunderbirds on Wednesday by a score of 5-3 despite holding a commanding 3-0 lead in the first period. In that game, the Islanders maintained impressive pressure early on but ultimately fell cold and could not score again.
Fans should pay close attention to the goaltending situation. Michael DiPietro is currently a top-ten goalie in the American Hockey League. In contrast, his tandem partner, Brandon Bussi, is ranked in the bottom ten and is still searching for his first win of the season.
Bridgeport faces goalie issues, as Marcus Hogberg was injured during their exciting 4-3 overtime loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last Wednesday. Despite finishing the game, the team quickly signed Boston College standout John Muse afterward. However, Muse was released yesterday, and Henrik Tikkanen was called up from the East Coast Hockey League affiliate, the Worcester Railers. The team will likely start Jakub Skarek, who is in his fifth season with the New York Islanders’ affiliate.
Providence should be concerned about their recent struggle with short-handed goals, especially since Bridgeport leads the league in this category. While most teams tend to slow down and run out the clock when they gain the puck during a penalty kill, the Islanders take a different approach. They prefer to push the pace and create odd-man rushes against teams that lack urgency after losing the puck. Currently, Brian Pinho leads the league with three short-handed goals.
One concern for the Bruins is whether top prospect Fabian Lysell can play after sustaining an injury in last Wednesday’s game against the Belleville Senators. He did not participate in either matchup against Laval. Although he began practice on Tuesday, he did not complete the drills. Similarly, the condition of defenseman Billy Sweezey remains uncertain after he was hit in the final two minutes of the game against the Rocket on Sunday. Like Lysell, Sweezey started practice on Tuesday but did not continue with the drills.
Despite their challenges, this week is significant as the team seeks to turn things around. Hopefully, netminder Brandon Bussi will achieve his first win of the season this weekend. Catch the Baby B’s this Friday at 7 PM at the AMP or on Flo Hockey. A lot is uncertain, but if Providence stays focused on its game, it has the potential to defeat any team in the league.
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