By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter / X @BlackAndGold277
On Wednesday night, the Providence Bruins started the current five-game homestand with an overtime victory courtesy of Fabian Lysell’s sixth of the season, defeating the visiting Hartford Wolf Pack in the extra session 3-2. The American Hockey League affiliate of the Boston Bruins are back in action tonight at the Amica Mutual Pavilion with a matchup against the visiting Utica Comets.
Providence is currently on a four-game winning streak and sits in second place in the Atlantic Division with an 11-1-0 record on the 2025-26 regular season and is the third-best team in the league with 22 points (Leader: Colorado w/25pts.). Tonight is game one of six on the year against the New Jersey Devils’ minor-pro affiliate, with the B’s going 3-3-0 in the last campaign. Last year, Providence went 2-1 in games played at the downtown Providence, Rhode Island venue on Lasalle Street. Speaking of winning streaks, the AHL B’s are currently unbeaten at home in the last two games, and the team is 6-1 at the AMP.
The Utica Comets come into tonight’s action in Providence winless in regulation in the last three American Hockey League contests (0-2-0-1). The North Division team sits in seventh spot with a 2-8-1-1 record, earning six points. The Comets have yet to capture a road victory this season, with a 0-4-0 record, and a 2-7-0-1 record in their last ten games. Utica is ranked 29th in the league on the power play with an 11.6 percent rate, and on the other side of special teams, the Comets rank 26th on the penalty kill.
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Regardless of the Utica team’s struggles thus far this season and its current second-to-last place in the league, there have been some bright spots on the team that Providence should be aware of. Forward Xavier Parent leads the team with 2-4-6 numbers in 12 games but is currently on a three-game pointless streak. Left winger Angus Crookshank has 4-1-5 numbers in 11 games with one assist in his last three games. Hanover, Massachusetts native and left winger Mike Hardman has 2-3-5 numbers in 12 games and has one assist in his previous four contests.
The Comets’ backend and goaltending have obviously suffered significantly so far this season, having given up 40 goals, which ranks them in the top ten of teams that have allowed the most goals in the league. Netminder Nico Daws has played six games thus far and has a record of 2-3-1 with a 2.48 goals-against-average along with a .899 save percentage. For Nico’s tandem partner, goaltender Jakub Malek has appeared in five games and is winless on the season, with a 0-4-1 record, accompanied by a 3.86 goals-against average and a .861 save percentage.
The Providence Bruins come into tonight’s action at the Amica with an impressive roster that consistently delivers in all three aspects of the game (Offense, Defense, Goaltending). However, what has stood out the most so far this year is their point production by the forward core and creating gaps on the scoreboard in case of defensive lapses. The B’s have 44 goals on the season in 12 games with an average of 3.6 goals per game, ranking the B’s in the top ten in the league.
The Bruins’ offense is led by big forward Riley Tufte, who’s really come into his own this year on a mission to impress and get consideration at the higher NHL level with his play along the boards and around the net. The Minnesota native leads the Bruins with 7-8-15 numbers in 12 games. Providence forward and team Captain Patrick Brown is second on the B’a in scoring with 6-9-15 numbers in all 12 games this year. Forward and newcomer to the B’s, Matej Blumel, is third on the team with 2-10-12 numbers in 12 games played. Forward Fabian Lysell is fourth on the B’s in scoring with 6-5-11 numbers in 11 games and is currently on a three-game point streak. Rounding out the top five in Providence scoring is forward Georgii Merkulov, who has 5-6-11 numbers in 12 games.
Defensively and goaltending, the Bruins are among the league’s best, giving up 24 goals in the 12 games played. The Bruins’ defensive structure is improving each game, but they still make the occasional mistake that leads to opposing goals. The Providence backend is led by the team’s netminding tandem of Michael DiPietro and AHL rookie Simon Zajicek. DiPietro has a record of 7-0-0 so far this season (Leads AHL), with a goals-against average of 2.13 and a save percentage of .929. For Zajicek, the Czech Republic native is 4-1-0 with a league-leading 1.60 goals-against average and a league-leading .943 save percentage. Both have been outstanding this season and are in the early running for the AHL’s Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award for the league’s best goaltender.
The Providence Bruins wrap up the weekend action tomorrow afternoon and continue this five-game homestand, as the third-place Laval Rocket comes to the Ocean State to face the B’s at 3:05 pm. Laval is currently in third place in the North with an 8-5-0 record and 6-4-0 in their last ten games. Laval is 3-4-0 on the road this season, and when the B’s and Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate played last season, the Rocket won all four regular-season appearances (2H-2A).
This has been one of the best starts in Providence Bruins franchise history, so if you want to see the live action, either at the Amica Mutual Pavilion or on the road, please consider using this official StubHub Ticket-affiliated link HERE for the most competitive concert and sporting event tickets in the North American region. If you cannot attend the regular season action, please consider watching at home or on the road via the FloHockey streaming service, which offers affordable viewing packages available HERE.
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