By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
The Providence Bruins’ 2025-26 regular season was a special one, with the team winning the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for the fourth time in franchise history, as the American Hockey League’s best team. Now, the Calder Cup Playoffs are next for Providence. With the 2026 AHL MVP, goaltender Michael DiPietro, and solid depth up front led by the team’s leader in points, Georgii Merkulov, and leading goal scorer Riley Tufte, there’s reason to believe Providence can go far in the 2026 playoffs.
However, the Springfield Thunderbirds await Providence in the best-of-five Division Semifinals. Game 1 of the series is this Friday at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Rhode Island, with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET. Springfield entered the 2026 playoffs as the sixth seed in the Atlantic Division’s side of the bracket, but defeated the Charlotte Checkers in three games in the first round to set up its series against Providence. With last year’s playoff finish and with how this season played out, Providence will have its hands full against Springfield.
Springfield is highly motivated to complete another playoff upset against Providence after falling to them in three games in last year’s first round. Charlotte finished with 21 more points than Springfield did this season. However, it didn’t bother Springfield, and the team completed the series upset. Springfield won Game 3 by a final score of 2-1 in overtime in Charlotte at Bojangles Coliseum this past Saturday, thanks to Julien Gauthier scoring the game-winning goal. Providence finished with 38 more points than Springfield did this season. Despite the huge point differential from the regular season, concerns of a playoff upset surrounding Providence are valid.
Providence won seven of 12 meetings against Springfield this season. However, the five losses to Springfield were the most Providence had against any AHL team this season. Providence dominated Springfield by winning three of the first four meetings of the season. In the fourth meeting between the two teams on Dec. 27 in Springfield, Providence won 7-1. Then, Springfield won four of the final eight meetings against Providence. In each of those eight meetings, Springfield’s goaltending was solid, as it did not allow Providence to score more than four goals in any game.
Against Charlotte, Springfield goaltender Georgi Romanov was remarkable after he started Games 2 and 3 of the series, following the team’s 8-1 blowout loss in Game 1. Romanov won both starts and posted a 1.34 GAA and a .955 save percentage combined. Romanov’s last two starts of the regular season were against Providence, and he played well in both of them. Romanov made 27 saves to help Springfield earn a 4-3 win on March 15. Despite losing 1-0 on April 12 in the next start against Providence, Romanov made 31 saves to keep his team in the game. Romanov had two good games against Providence to finish the regular season and two excellent starts in the 2026 playoffs, so Providence’s offense could face a challenge in between the pipes.
Springfield is going to be a tough team for Providence to beat. Springfield is highly motivated and confident after defeating Charlotte in round one. Providence showed all season why the team finished with the AHL’s best record in 2026. Now, Providence has to prove why they were the AHL’s best team against a team it has struggled with in the regular season.
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