By: Kenny Kaminsky | Follow me on Twitter/X @KennyKaminsky
After a thrilling 3-2 victory last night against the Bridgeport Islanders, the Providence Bruins faced off against the Islanders again at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team delivered an outstanding performance, earning a decisive 8-4 win over their division rivals. Brandon Bussi started in goal and finally secured his elusive first win of the season. However, the job still needs to be finished, as the Bruins aim to win tomorrow for a weekend sweep against another rival, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Despite the challenges ahead, the team should be proud of their performance; hopefully, this is a sign of success.
The first period started with an impressive save by Bussi, keeping the score at zero. Shortly after, Marc McLaughlin made an incredible move, stripping the puck from Islander top prospect Calle Odelius to score his first goal of the season, firing the puck past Bridgeport goaltender Henrik Tikkanen. Unfortunately, the period ended on a down note when Marc Gatcomb scored his second goal in as many nights, tying the game at one.
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The second period was a back-and-forth affair. Just 15 seconds in, Islander Liam Foudy scored to give B-Port the lead. Boston Bruins’ top prospect Georgii Merkulov quickly tied the game at 2-2 with his second goal of the season on the power play. Two minutes later, Marc Gatcomb scored his second goal of the game, putting the Islanders ahead 3-2. Recently assigned Riley Tufte tied the game again at 3-3 with a beautiful tic-tac-toe goal during a power play. With just one minute left in the period, Jeffrey Viel forced a turnover and assisted Riley Duran for a goal, allowing the Bruins to take a 4-3 lead. However, with only 40 seconds remaining in the period, William Dufour scored on the power play, bringing the game to a tie at 4-4 once more.
In the third period, the Baby Bruins dominated, scoring three goals in under a minute. Ian Mitchell, Vinni Lettieri, and John Farinacci each found the net, extending the lead to 7-4. Farinacci added one more goal, bringing the final score to 8-4.
Georgii Merkulov and Vinni Lettieri have been the best players for the P-Bruins this season, and their performance tonight reflected that, as both players scored three points in the game. This brings Merkulov’s season total to ten points in 11 games and Lettieri’s total to 11 points in 11 games. The victory was significant for several reasons, but the most notable was Brandon Bussi finally achieving his first win. Although he didn’t play exceptionally well, his teammates supported him tonight, and hopefully, he can build on this success in his next start.
Only a few things were positive tonight. Top prospect Fabian Lysell returned from injury but failed to register a point in the blowout win. He also took two penalties during the game. While fans are happy to see the Swede back in the lineup, they hope to see more from him. Recently assigned Max Jones sat out tonight after his solid performance yesterday. Additionally, Brett Harrison and Jackson Edward were both scratched from the lineup.
Providence’s special teams were a concern at the start of the season, but tonight, they performed impressively, going two for five on power plays and creating numerous scoring opportunities. The penalty kill was successful four out of five times, and they even scored a short-handed goal. The team has started to show more urgency during power plays, and it seems they have found their rhythm after the Canadian road trip last weekend.
Despite the impressive victory by the Bridgeport Islanders, the Providence Bruins have more work ahead of them as they return home to the Amica Mutual Pavilion to face their other Connecticut rival, the Hartford Wolf Pack. With a quick turnaround, the puck drop is scheduled for 3:05 PM. A win in this game would be significant for the team as they look to wrap up their first three-in-three weekend of the year.
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