By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter / X @BlackAndGold277
The Providence Bruins earned a dramatic 7-6 overtime win over the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday night at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, in a game where momentum swung wildly between the Atlantic Division rivals. With the win, Providence—the top minor-league affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins—secured its second road victory of the 2026-27 season, a much-needed boost for a team that has struggled to find its stride early in the campaign.
The Bruins entered the contest sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings with a 4-6-0 record and just eight points after ten games. The overtime win not only gave Providence its first two-game winning streak of the season, but also reversed its fortunes after a shutout loss to Springfield earlier this month.
Providence wasted no time, as forward Brian Halonen opened the scoring just 1:53 into the first period with a one-timer past Thunderbirds goaltender Will Cranley. The early lead was short-lived—Springfield answered 27 seconds later and netted two more before the period ended, taking a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.
Springfield extended its lead to 4-1 early in the second period, but the Bruins manifested resilience. Veteran forward Mikey Eyssimont, who continues to pace the league in goals, put Providence back within striking distance with his tenth tally of the year. The Thunderbirds restored their three-goal cushion at 5-2, but the Bruins roared back with three unanswered goals to tie the contest at 5-5 before the second intermission. Defenseman Ty Gallagher netted his first of the season, Ivan Ivan scored his first goal as a Bruin on the power play, and Brendan Gaunce capped the period with another man-advantage marker.
In the third period, Providence took its first lead of the night when Lukas Reichel snapped a five-game goalless streak on a breakaway to make it 6-5. However, Springfield tied it at six with just 1:28 left in regulation, forcing overtime.
In the extra frame, Providence wasted no time. Ivan Ivan, enjoying a breakout performance, scored his second goal just 11 seconds into overtime, sealing a wild 7-6 win for the Bruins. Dans Locmelis recorded the lone assist on the game-winner, extending his point streak to two games.
Goaltender Simon Zajicek collected the win for Providence, stopping 24 of 30 shots and ending his personal two-game skid. Several multi-point performances led the Bruins’ offense: Brian Halonen (1-1-2), Brendan Gaunce (1-1-2), Mikey Eyssimont (1-2-3), Ty Gallagher (1-2-3), and Ivan Ivan (2-1-3). Multiple players also extended their point streaks, including Locmelis, Eyssimont, Ivan, Gallagher, Riley Duran, and Jordan Harris. Special teams played a major role, with Providence’s power play converting twice on four opportunities and the penalty kill holding Springfield to one goal on three chances.
The Bruins will seek to build on their recent momentum when they travel to Allentown, Pennsylvania, to face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center on Sunday, November 1st. The matchup marks the teams’ first meeting this season, with Providence aiming for its first three-game winning streak and a chance to climb out of the Atlantic Division cellar. Last year, the Bruins took three of four games against the Phantoms, a trend they hope to continue as they look to turn their season around.
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