By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
Last night at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut, the Providence Bruins were blanked 2-0 by the Hartford Wolf Pack as the team began a back-to-back. After three consecutive road games, the Bruins returned home for their second meeting in 22 days against the Utica Comets. The Bruins fell to the Comets 2-1 in the season opener on Oct. 2, but bounced back to win the second meeting.
The Bruins defeated the Comets 5-2 at Amica Mutual Pavilion, improving to 3-6. After getting blanked last night and scoring only one goal in the first meeting against the Comets, the Bruins’ offense came alive when it mattered.
First Period
The Bruins had two power play chances in the first period, while the Comets had one, but both teams failed each time. With 5:59 remaining, Comets forward Gabe Klassen scored the game’s opening goal when his shot sneaked past Bruins goaltender Jiri Patera. However, just 3:06 later, Bruins defenseman Max Guenette scored his second goal of the season against Comets goaltender David Rittich to tie the game. The Bruins and Comets were tied at one heading into the first intermission. Pantera made nine saves in the period, while Rittich made five.
Second Period
Forward Attilio Biasca recorded his first assist as a Bruin on Guenette’s goal. Then, Biasca got two more firsts. Just 47 seconds into the second period, Biasca scored his first goal as a Bruin, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead and marking his first multi-point game. Fifty-five seconds later, forward Mikey Eyssimont scored to extend the Bruins’ lead to 3-2. Comets forward Jack Malone scored 1:10 after Eyssimont’s goal to cut the Bruins’ lead to one.
Both teams scored three goals combined in the opening 2:52 of the period. After the three goals, the rest of the period was scoreless, and the Bruins led 3-2 heading into the second intermission. The Bruins killed one Comets power play in the period.
Third Period
The Bruins killed a Comets power play less than six minutes into the third period, and the game got chippy with scrums. At 9:11, Comets forward Ben Steeves took a two-minute roughing penalty, including bumping and chirping Patera after a whistle. While the Bruins wouldn’t score on the power play, Eyssimont scored his second goal of the game and ninth of the season with 5:17 remaining to extend the Bruins’ lead to 4-2, giving him his third multi-goal game this season.
With 3:37 remaining in regulation, Bruins defenseman Henri Jokiharju was called for a double-minor penalty for high-sticking, giving the Comets a great chance to tie the game. However, the Bruins iced the game with an empty-net goal from captain Billy Sweezey. Patera made 28 saves, and Bruins forward Dans Locmelis recorded two assists in the win.
One More Game in October
The Bruins return to action when they travel to Springfield, Massachusetts, to take on the Springfield Thunderbirds at MassMutual Center on Oct. 30, with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET. Next Friday’s game will be the Bruins’ final game of October and the second meeting of the season against the Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds blanked the Bruins 2-0 in the first meeting in Providence on Oct. 4. Will Cranley recorded a 24-save shutout, and the Thunderbirds got their goals from forwards Justin Carbonneau and Otto Stenberg. In the loss, Simon Zajicek stopped 20 of 21 shots.
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