A website dedicated to bring you the most accurate news and information about the Boston Bruins organization from a fans perspective. This site is not affiliated with the NHL club in any way.
Since so many of us hockey and Bruins fans are keeping our social distance during our current COVID-19 crisis, let’s take a look back at the “distant” past of our favorite franchise with a new feature series: “On This Day In Bruins History”!
On this day in 1940, @NHLBruins’ Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart, and Bobby Bauer, aka the “Kraut Line,” finished atop the league in points. It was the first time in NHL history that a line finished 1-2-3 in league scoring #Hockey365#NHLBruinspic.twitter.com/BviEBGVrOH
Thanks to heralded hockey scribe Mike Commito, here’s the ideal way to drop the puck on these celebrated stories of B’s history — with a St. Patrick’s Day emphasis on some ‘Kraut, a perfectly palatable delicatessen for such an occasion.
And of course, that means deliciously writing about the famously formidable KRAUT LINE of Milt Schmidt, Bobby Bauer and Woody Dumart who, on March 17th eighty years ago, ended the NHL season as the top three scorers in all of hockey.
Our modern-day version of Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak — nicely nicknamed The Perfection Line — could definitely appreciate the perfect scoring skill of The Krauts, all of whom helped lead the Bruins to two Stanley Cups in three years — 1939 and 1941, respectively.
Not only were these three remarkable B’s players admired and championed by their teammates, but also by their most heated opponents — The Montreal Canadiens.
In February of 1942, only days before Schmidt, Bauer and Dumart were scheduled to join the Royal Canadian Airforce and serve their country during World War II, their fellow countrymen from North of the Border did this after the B’s beat the Canadiens 8-1 at the Boston Garden:
Talk about a brilliant Black N’ Gold tribute from the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge! Stay tuned for even more historical tributes to the B’s as we continue to update this blog with even more “On This Day In Bruins History” feature stories as we await the restart of our favorite game.
By: Tim A. Richardson | Follow Me On Twitter @TimARichardson
Amidst the uncertainty of the NHL season, the Boston Bruins have some news. Goalie Jeremy Swayman has signed a deal with the club. The details of the contract have not yet been released; however, news of the signing came to us via the University of Maine Hockey Twitter page.
Today, @JeremySwayman inked a deal with the Boston Bruins!
Jeremy Swayman is coming off an excellent Junior season at the University of Maine. He would go 18-11-5 and was able to grab a 2.07 goals-against average with a .939 save percentage in 34 games. The Anchorage, Alaska native, was one of the main reasons why the Black Bears were nationally ranked 15th.
Jeremy Swayman was a fourth-round pick (111th overall) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The former Black Bear is joining an already young impressive goalie prospect pool with the Bruins. That prospect pool includes Dan Vladar, who just had an excellent season with Providence and Kyle Keyser, who had an injury-plagued season.
Being a Maine native myself, I may be a little bit biased, but Swayman is my favorite Bruins goalie prospect. My biggest reason for this is the amount shots Swayman saw this season. In 34 games, he had 1170 shots fired his way. That’s 34.4 shots a game. Getting as many pucks shot at you as possible is vital for young netminders. The Alaska native had that at the University of Maine. I would expect to see Swayman in Providence next season. Get excited Bruins fans, this is awesome.
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!
Per CBC & Sportsnet reporter/writer Elliotte Friedman sent out a tweet below letting the hockey world that the ECHL would announce that the league is going to cancel the season on Monday. Minutes later the well informed Friedman updated the new that the cancelation of the 2019-20 was going to be within the hour and not on the upcoming Monday. Later in the series of tweets below, the ECHL did, in fact, announce that the regular season and playoffs are done for the remainder of the hockey year.
Let me adjust…hearing the announcement will be coming in the next little while.
This unfortunate news certainly came at a bad time when it comes to the Boston Bruins franchise as the Atlanta Gladiators are they’re “AA” minor-pro affiliate and feeder system to the American Hockey Leagues Providence Bruins which is Boston’s top minor-pro affiliate. The Gladiators have hovered around the bottom of the South Division standings but have played well before the ECHL cancelation to be in the mix of the 2020 Kelly Cup postseason. Before last night’s announcement, the Glads produced points in their last ten glams accompanied by an impressive 8-0-1-1 record good enough for 62 regular-season points just one point shy of tying the third-place Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
As the 2019-20 season ended for Atlanta club they finish with a 29-28-2-2 record and when you look at the Eastern Conference postseason outlook they sit in the eighth position and would’ve qualified for a playoff spot unlike they did at the end of the 2018-19 campaign. Before this terrible virus seemingly took over the world, I believe with the way the Gladiators club was playing down the stretch the team could’ve earned more points to possibly reach the seventh position in the East with 11 games remaining.
Some Gladiators players that were under contract and Providence Bruins property that deserve mentions this season offensively were longtime veteran forward Eric Neiley (24-31-55, 59GP) forward Samuel Asselin (26-26-52, 53GP) forward Tommy Marchin (21-27-48, 49GP) forward Scott Conway (17-16-33, 39GP) defenseman Joel Messner (8-29-37, 59GP) defenseman Zach Malatesta (14-20-34, 60GP). It was unfortunate that goaltender and Boston Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser wasn’t able to return to the Gladiators lineup as he was recently sent down to Atlanta presumably medical cleared to return to action after leaving the AHL Providence Bruins team he was with for several weeks getting back to game shape after a long absence with concussion problems.
Bruins seventh-round prospect Pavel Shen who was struggling to get into games with Providence down the stretch was sent to Atlanta to keep his feet moving and would’ve added some offensive production at the lower level was unable to see any ice in Georgia due to the cancelation. With the top minor-pro affiliate in Providence in his AHL rookie season, the 20-year-old Russia native appeared in 35 games for the Bruins contributing 4-5-9 numbers. Shen was selected in the last round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and impressed at the 2018-19 World Junior Championship Tournament where he had 3-1-4 numbers in seven games.
With the end of the ECHL 2019-20 campaign officially over it remains to be seen what’s to become of the higher up AHL and even higher NHL and their thoughts on the current hockey season. The ECHL is a feeder to the higher AHL franchises so in emergency situations and callups presumably won’t be there. If the AHL is next, well there goes your feeder league for the NHL if the same scenarios are to arise. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, and don’t have any solid proof, but the ECHL might be setting the bar here for further cancelations of hockey seasons. This is something I’m not exactly happy about as a diehard Boston Bruins fan and pure speculation on my part but it seems like it may be a trend. Also, with the ECHL and the no winner of the Kelly Cup, hearing the 2019-20 regular season accolades at the higher above leagues and just giving the Cups to the clubs with the most points is just an unsettling feeling with those winning by default scenarios.
Tough times no doubt moving forward and honestly hope things get worked out for the better. Sports aside, I hope all are safe and in well health as we continue this worldwide pandemic. As mentioned in a previous article we hope all our BNG readers and families/supporters stay vigilant throughout this process and if anything gets our beloved sport oh hockey back when it’s safe to do so.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 169 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!
First and foremost I want to speak for everyone here at the Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast and tremendous website staff in saying we as fans understand the sudden stoppage of our beloved sport and it sucks but it’s also a time to think about yourselves and families. By doing our due diligence, humanity and daily routines will return including Boston Bruins hockey. We want to thank everyone for the continued support but also want to show gratitude in saying we’re thinking about you as well. I hope you enjoy this related article as others including myself provide any means of diverting world issue attention to something positive and hockey related.
Heavy Interest In Swedish Hockey Leagues Sandin
With the National Hockey League pausing the 2019-20 regular-season due to the coronavirus pandemic I’m hearing its work as usual with addressing future needs at the forward position even if it’s evaluating from a safer Boston office. Per source, Bruins management had scouts in the Swedish Hockey League under the advisement of local scout and former Bruins forward P.J. Axelsson. The rumor out of the SHL is the Boston organization has taken heavy interest in Linus Sandin a 23-year-old right-winger. The 6′-1″ 209-pound right-shooting forward is currently playing for the SHL’s HV71 club and has contributed offensively with SHL career-high 19-17-36 numbers this season in 51 games. The Swedish native has played in 143 games in the SHL with 38-28-66 totals and is the older brother of defenseman Rasmus Sandin currently with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.
Sandin’s current contract is very interesting when you look into the details. He has one more full season after this year with the HV71 club and if the idea of bringing him in this season I’m hearing with his no “NHL” out clause he’d have to pass through waivers to make his way to the National League. His last season of 2020-21 would be the ideal time to take advantage without the waiver process. With the work that General Manager Don Sweeney has in front of him this offseason pertaining to contract negotiations, it remains to be seen where Linus could fit. Would a player like Sandin who’d presumably be under a short-term “show me first” contract want to play in the American Hockey League to start while cap space and a roster spot open up at the NHL Bruins level in the future?
Sandin is playing on an impressive HV71 team that includes former Boston Bruins prospects Anthony Camara and Jonathan Sigalet. Also playing on this team is New York Rangers forward prospect, Lias Andersson, who’s holding out from playing in the NHL for the time being. The HV71 season regular season has come to an end and this unfortunate coronavirus has postponed the SHL’s playoffs so this is putting these continued scouting missions at a standstill and the idea of a North American appearance no matter what level is on pause. It’s important to know that Linus is being looked at by several NHL organizations as his SHL contract is on the backend and seemingly more attractive for a low-risk high reward gamble per the player’s terms of course.
The Boston Bruins owned the rights of former forward Carl Soderberg who came to the Boston club via a trade with the St. Louis Blues for what many thought would be a promising goaltender Hannu Toivonen. Soderberg who was a national star in the SHL accepted qualified offers for several seasons but stood firm on not coming to North America without starting in the NHL refusing time with the top minor-pro Providence Bruins organization. Sandin is a very good player when it comes to the international style of the game and his family name is well known so that success in the pro level in his home country might be more appealing over minor-pro duties.
Obviously, former Bruin turned scout PJ Axelsson had something to do with Linus being invited to the 2019 B’s Development Camp at the Warrior Ice Arena and put on a good showing in front of the Bruins brass and media members such as myself who were covering the multi-day event. Before his 2019-20 hockey season was paused before moving onto the SHL’s postseason, the undrafted winger had six points in his last ten games in his best pro year at the highest level in Sweden. Keeping tabs on players you’ve had previous evaluation opportunities with isn’t a bad idea but it remains to be seen if the Bruins actually pull the trigger to get him here with other NHL franchises looming above like turkey vultures waiting to pounce grasping pro contracts.
Update: Swiss Leagues cancel remainder of seasons, Swedish League postpones playoffshttps://t.co/s3ljKAwoc7
If Linus is in fact interested in leaving his native Swedish country to pursue a professional career in North America and accepts duties in the AHL with Providence, he’d certainly add to an already lethal offensive scoring punch. The Rhode Island team already has Jack Studnicka leading the way in goals and points and Captain Paul Carey not far behind. With a victory on Wednesday night on the road against the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Providence club leads the AHL’s Eastern Conference by one point and was on a 12-game point streak which had the team produce an 11-game winning streak in that timeframe before the shutdown of the regular season. Could a Calder Cup Playoff run with a potential front-running Providence team be tempting enough for Sandin to accept a role in the minors? At this point who knows what both sides are considering with so much confusion of when the AHL, NHL, and SHL are going to get back to playing after the virus ordeal.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 169 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!
Unfortunately, the spread of the Covid-19 virus has taken a toll on the North American sports scene as many amateur, minor-pro, and professional leagues shut down operations to appropriately contain this global pandemic. BNG Senior Writer Max Mainville updated Bruins Nation shortly after hearing the official National Hockey League press release of the 2019-2 being suspended (Seen Here), well shortly after the American Hockey League followed suit as seen below.
This egregious effort to cancel large gatherings is a no-brainer, in my opinion, but it does put a serious wrench in the gears of beloved sports fans and what goes on in day-to-day lives. As many Boston Bruins fans know, the team is in first place in the NHL. With a six-point lead over last year’s Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues, they pause their 2019-20 campaign as a favorite to return and hopefully capture the organization’s seventh league championship. The NHL Bruins top minor-pro affiliate the Providence Bruins have also reached impressive milestones this season with an outstanding second-half marching their way up the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with playoff-type games leading up to the recent halt of the regular season.
The AHL team from the smallest state in the Union (United States) started a better part of the 2019-20 season in the middle of the Atlantic, but in the second half, the Providence club has really put the pressure on teams leading the way. A team such as the Hartford Wolf Pack, who ruled the early season, have taken a plunge since their parent NHL club the New York Rangers recalled phenom goaltender Igor Shesterkin. AHL Clubs like the Hershey Bears and Providence Bruins took advantage of the Wolf Packs downward spiral to be the new leaders of the Atlantic. If you follow the AHL on the regular, the Eastern Conference postseason outlook has been tight since the beginning of January, so you could already see organizations jockeying for Calder Cup Playoff positioning.
Before this sudden pause in the Providence regular season, the B’s were on a season-high 12 game point streak, which contributed to the recent successful rise up the AHL league standings but also a season-high 11 game winning streak. Another high point of the second half of this 2019-20 Providence Bruins season is the way the affiliate of the NHL B’s has played at home in front of the La Salle Square faithful. Before the recent consecutive winning success, the Providence club was a franchise dipping above and below the .500 mark for a better part of this season at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Downtown Providence, Rhode Island.
The @AHLBruins will go for a record 12th straight win tonight in Hartford.
The Providence Bruins started the season off with a subpar home record of 7-8-0-1, but since the turn of the calendar year, have picked it up in front of the Providence faithful to produce a very respectable 10-3-2-1 record at the Dunk since the beginning of January 2020. Everything has been clicking nicely until today’s announcement, and as a media member under the credentials of the Providence organization, it’s going to be tough to see this what this minor-pro club has done this season to just stop and figure it out later. A huge chemistry speed bump, in my opinion, for everybody on this mission of a Calder Cup playoff run that I thought was coming this Spring.
The last time the AHL Providence franchise won season-ending bragging rights was in the 1998-99 campaign capturing a Regular-Season Title, Division Championship, Conference Championship, and raising the Calder Cup after beating the Rochester Americans in a seven-game series 4-1. I thought after watching this team and with the way goaltending from the backend was the catalyst to build on early on with the free-agent addition of Max Lagace. The 27-year-old Quebec, Canada native, was amongst the AHL league leaders when it came to highly ranked goaltenders. Lagace has been a solid depth netminder for the Bruins organization and might be Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney’s ace in the hole for another year of backup sustainability while on a cap-friendly contract.
Another member of the crease core in Providence is Dan Vladar, who I’ve always spoken high of has really turned his game around in the last season of his current three-year, entry-level contract. The former 2015 third-round draft pick is having his best pro season posting a 14-7-1 record with league-leading 1.79 goals-against-average, and .936 save percentage. The 22-year-old Czech Republic native is currently on a seven-game winning streak and, in that timeline producing an unbelievable 1.54 GAA and .940 Save%.
After making 35 saves today, Dan Vladar now leads the AHL in both save percentage (.935) and goals against average (1.83) pic.twitter.com/EjTNxrgNIV
Providence stands as the Eastern Conferences best team with a 38-18-3-3 record and 82 points and tied for second place league-wide with the Iowa Wild eight points behind AHL leading Milwaukee Admirals who’re leading the league in its 84th year of operation as the top minor-pro affiliate of the NHL. After how this team came together orchestrated by bench boss Jay Leach who many fans wanted to see fired every start of regular seasons unable to wait for the mid-season ramp up. Yes, in previous years, the Providence club would struggle severely due to the fact that the NHL Bruins were recalling players ripping apart any youthful chemistry facilitating the higher up parent club. In recent years the new calendar year has been a turning point for Leach and staff to get healthy players back in the lineup and have a stronger competitive season.
Regardless of my displeasure of this whole situation and where this Bruins minor club was going, I hope that all of our readers do the right thing for your families and friends to help the cause. We need our sport back, but we also have to get our healthy life cycle back in order so we can go to these awesome spectator sports venues in the near future. It’s unfortunate that I had to cancel planned trips to Providence to cover this team as a media member via the Providence franchise for our production team, but it’s also a great little city to hang out in. I will miss my regular visits to the Trinity Brew House for a Rueben Sandwich and cold Rhode Island IPA, and Murphy’s Providence for an interesting Irish menu feast. Be safe everyone and the Bruins prospect talk from our BNG team will continue to keep the interest going through tough times.
With wins in 11 straight games, we’ve tied the 1998-99 Calder Cup champion #AHLBruins for the longest winning streak in franchise history! pic.twitter.com/JX5ow9jvRc
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 169 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!
By: Max Mainville | Check me out on Twitter @tkdmaxbjj
On Thursday, March 12th, 2020, the National Hockey League officially announced that they have suspended the 2019-2020 regular-season for an indefinite amount of time due to the recent COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
The news is not as much of a surprise as last night, March 11th, a National Basketball Association (NBA) game between the Utah Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed after Rudy Gobert was determined to have tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the game. A few days earlier, Gobert jokingly touched all of the reporter’s microphones and recorders following a press conference and as a result, the NBA made the decision to suspend their season as self-quarantines were recommended to numerous teams.
On Thursday, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that they would suspend spring training and potentially the beginning of the regular-season. High-profile tournaments and other sporting leagues also followed the path of the NBA and MLB and suspended their operations, leaving the NHL with a big decision to make and to the eyes of many, they made the correct choice suspending the league.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made it clear that the league plans to eventually continue with the season, stating “Our goal is to resume play as soon as it is appropriate and prudent, so that we will be able to complete the season and award the Stanley Cup.”, in the official statement included above. Other reports earlier in the day suggested that arenas were asked to keep availability into July if the games are able to continue.
Hearing as part of the #NHL's due diligence process, teams have been asked to provide arena building availability through the end of July.
Due to this unique nature, the consequences are not yet known. At this point, the situation is ongoing and more details are being revealed to the public by the minute. Details on what this means for the salary cap, potential shortened season, or full-on cancellation is not yet known, but the hope is that the outbreak settles and comes to an eventual end.
As of March 12th at 2:17 EST, COVID-19 has infected over 133,086 people worldwide, taking the lives of 4,949. In the United States, there are 1,412 cases with 40 total deaths while Canada has 122 cases and one death, with numbers continuing to rise daily. As of now, the hardest hit nations are China, Italy and Iran who have a combined 105,984 cases and 4,614 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a “pandemic” on March 11th.
Updates on the situation and the consequences are as mentioned, being updated daily. For up-to-the-minute news, make sure to follow me on Twitter (@tkdmaxbjj), as well as on the blackngoldhockey.com website for anything Boston Bruins related. We at Black N’ Gold send our well wishes to those affected and remind everyone to stay safe during this pandemic.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 169 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!
Week 24 of the AHL season has arrived. The Providence Bruins skate into it 32-18-3-3 (82 points) and 10-0 in their last 10 games. This is good for first in the Atlantic Division and first in the Eastern Conference. The Providence club is coming off a stellar week that saw them push their win streak to 12 games. Our boys in black and gold were able to beat Springfield twice before beating Hershey and Hartford. This weekend will have exciting hockey that you do not want to miss.
The weekend kicks off on Saturday, March 14, 2020, when the Providence Bruins invade Charlotte, North Carolina, to take on the Checkers at Bojangles’ Coliseum. The weekend action wraps up on Sunday, March 15, 2020, when the Providence Bruins take on the Charlotte Checkers at The Biscuit in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Saturday, March 14, 2020, and Sunday, March 15, 2020, Providence Bruins vs. Charlotte Checkers (AWAY)
The weekend series between the Providence Bruins and Charlotte Checkers will be the fifth and sixth of eight meetings the two teams will have. In the first battle, the Providence Bruins would win 4-1. Brendan Woods (2), Scott Conway, and Robert Lantosi scored goals for the Bruins. Max Lagace was excellent in net stopping 28 of the 29 shots fired his way.
The second matchup saw the Bruins shutout the Checkers 4-0. Brendan Woods, Urho Vaakanainen, Pavel Shen, and Jack Studnicka found the back of the net. Dan Vladar was a wall, stopping all 36 shots he faced. The third game saw the Bruins fall 4-0. Max Lagace would go on top stop 39 of the 42 shots he faced. The most recent matchup wasn’t much better. The Bruins would be beaten 4-1. Robert Lantosi scored the lone goal for Providence.
Last season, the Charlotte Checkers were dominant. They would beat the Bruins in four games in the first round of the playoffs on their way to their first Calder Cup Championship. This season has been a bit of a different story. The Hurricanes’ affiliate skate into the match up 34-22-5 (73 points) and 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. This is good for third in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference.
Something that led to their dominant season last year was their defense. Their defense only surrendered 189 goals, while they scored 255. That’s a +66 goal differential. This season has been a little different. The Charlotte club on the year has scored 202 goals while giving up 172. That’s a +30 goal differential. That means they’re scoring 3.31 goals a game while giving up 2.81.
To put those numbers into perspective, the Providence Bruins have played in one more game than Charlotte. They’ve scored 197 goals while giving up 154. That’s a +43 goal differential. This means they’re scoring 3.17 goals a game while giving up only 2.48. The Providence Bruins are 8-7-1 against Charlotte over the past five seasons. This includes 5-3 at the Checkers.
Who’s Hot and Who’s Not
Hot
Jack Studnicka: Jack Studnicka finds himself in the hot category once again. The young forward is having a stellar season. In 60 games, he’s netted 23 goals while dishing out 26 assists for 49 total points. This includes netting nine goals while dishing out 14 assists for 23 total points over his last 18 games. Studnicka also finds himself registering a point in six of his last seven games. He’s netted three goals and dished out 5 assists for eight total points during that time. Studnicka is also becoming an elite penalty kill weapon. He’s registered seven shorthanded goals on the year. This is the most in the AHL.
Peter Cehlarik: Peter Cehlarik has fallen out of favor with the Boston Bruins in recent years. He’s had a few players jump ahead of him on the depth chart when it comes to callups. Despite this, the veteran forward has played well this season. In 48 games, he’s netted 16 goals while dishing 21 assists for 37 total points. This includes netting three goals and dishing out six assists for nine total points in his last nine games. Cehlarik has been a large part of the Bruins’ win streak.
Not
Robert Lantosi: Robert Lantosi is in his first full season with the Providence Bruins. Overall, it’s been a successful first season. In 50 games, he’s netted 11 goals while dishing out 20 assists for 31 total points. Despite these numbers, he’s only dished out two assists in his last six games. The young forward came to Providence after spending the previous season in his native Slovakia.
Brendan Woods: Brendan Woods came to Providence after spending the last two seasons in the Vancouver Canucks organization. In 49 games this season, he’s netted eight goals while dishing out 12 assists for 20 total points. This includes dishing out two assists in his last 10 games. Despite this, the 20 points did eclipse his total of 17 from last season. Hopefully, the veteran forward’s offense game is back soon.
Jack Studnicka scored his seventh short-handed goal of the season and it was a beauty. Studnicka flew the zone to separate and Steen delivered a picture-perfect pass. Studnicka received the pass, did the curl-and-drag and roofed it on his backhand. Special player. #NHLBruinspic.twitter.com/pfFO6xOrQR
Jakub Lauko: Jakub Lauko came into this season with a lot of publicity. The young forward came to Providence after having a stellar season in the QMJHL with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. This season was derailed because of injuries before and during the World Junior Championships. In 22 games this season, he’s netted five goals while dishing out four assists for nine total points. He’s played in four games since returning from injury, netting a goal. Look for him this weekend.
On The Blue Line
Jakub Zboril: Jakub Zboril has had an up and down season with Providence. He’s also a player that has caused many different arguments amongst Bruins’ fans. In 58 games this season, he’s netted three goals and dished out 16 assists for 19total points. This includes netting one goal and dishing out four assists for five total points in his last four games. The young defenseman has also been playing better defense recently. Look for him this weekend.
In Net
Dan Vladar: Dan Vladar has had a superb season for the Providence Bruins. On the year, he’s 14-7-1 with a 1.79 GAA and a .936 save percentage. The young netminder has also registered three shutouts on the year. Vladar is also 1-1 with 1.51 GAA and a .956 save percentage against Charlotte this season.
Jakub Zboril is having himself a great night in his own end, but he also added this goal. Received the pass, wound up and ripped one on goal. His shot has always been a great asset, but he hasn’t always utilized it. He’s ready for a shot in Boston, IMO. #NHLBruinspic.twitter.com/HfRDtYulFA
The Providence Bruins are playing excellent hockey right now. Earlier in the year, I hammered home the point that this team was one of the most talented teams in the league. We are seeing that tenfold right now. The Providence club looks primed to make a deep run in the playoffs. I hope you enjoy the games this weekend. Feel free to send me any comments or questions on Twitter. As always, GO, Bs, GO!
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!
Arena: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Home: Philadelphia Flyers (41-20-7)
Away: Boston Bruins (43-14-12)
Philadelphia’s Lineup
Forwards
Giroux-Couturier-Voracek
Farabee-Hayes-Konecny
Laughton-Grant-Pitlick
Raffl-Thompson-Aube-Kubel
Defense
Provorov-Niskanen
Sanheim-Hagg
Gostisbehere-Braun
Goalies
Hart
Elliott
Boston’s Lineup
Forwards
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
Ritchie-Krejci-Kase
Kuraly-Coyle-DeBrusk
Nordstrom-Lindholm-Wagner
Defense
Chara-McAvoy
Grzelcyk-Lauzon
Moore-Clifton
Goalies
Rask
Halak
First Period
Neither team had much going offensively in the opening moments as few shots were put on goal on either side. The Bruins started to maintain an attacking zone rhythm toward the midway point of the period but the Flyers did as well as they drew a penalty with 13:40 left. The B’s killed off the man advantage thanks to a couple of monster saves by Tuukka Rask including a phenomenal stop on Travis Konecny. Rask continued to have a strong period as they got a number of quality chances after the power play. The Bruins continued to have trouble getting possession of the puck past the midway point of the period as the Flyers started to take control of the game.
Late in the period Boston went to the penalty kill yet again as Brad Marchand was called for holding in the neutral zone. Philadelphia didn’t manage much on the power play except for a couple shots that Rask stopped rather easily and the game remained scoreless going into the final moments of the period. The Bruins picked up a final minute power play as Ivan Provorov was called for a high stick.
Score: Tied 0-0
Second Period
The Bruins began the period on the power play that was picked up at the end of the first. The Flyers killed off the penalty and even got a number of shorthanded opportunities on Rask. Bruce Cassidy seemed to shuffle the forward lines in the middle period to try to ignite some offense to get the B’s going. The Bruins started to find an offensive rhythm at the midway point of the period as they looked to be the more energetic team. Rask continued to be busy as the Flyers threw shots on goal from nearly every angle.
The Bruins continued to have trouble maintaining much of an offensive rhythm and as a result lagged behind Philadelphia in shots on goal. The Flyers picked up their third power play of the night as Marchand went to the box again with under six minutes left in the period. Boston killed off the penalty once again as Rask stood tall which to that point was becoming the story of the game. The B’s responded as they drew a penalty on Justin Braun immediately after, giving them an opportunity to take the lead. Matt Grzelcyk finally opened the scoring with a bomb from the point as the B’s took the late period lead.
The B’s opened the period with some great energy as they looked to extend the lead in the early moments of the third. The Flyers continued to get shots on goal but Rask continued to come up big. The B’s looked like the aggressor in the final period as they pushed hard for another goal to take control of the game. The tempo of the game started to pick up past the midway point of the period as both teams started to get a bit desperate. Both teams traded chances down the stretch, going end to end a couple times but the score remained the same thanks to stellar goaltending. Patrice Bergeron doubled the Boston lead with a long wrist shot past Carter Hart with over five minutes to go.
Immediately following the goal, Scott Laughton was called for a high stick which resulted in a Bruins power play, giving them a chance to essentially put the game on ice. The Flyers killed it off despite some great puck movement by Boston and still had a chance to get back in the game. Philadelphia pulled Hart with about 2:30 to play as they looked for a couple of quick goals.
Final Score: 2-0 Bruins
Three Stars Of The Game
First Star: Rask
Second Star: Grzelcyk
Third Star: Bergeron
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 169 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!
Per the AHL’s official website transactions page, the NHL Boston Bruins have reassigned 2018 seventh-round selection, Pavel Shen, from the Providence Bruins to the organization’s ECHL “AA” minor-pro affiliate the Atlanta Gladiators. In this, his rookies season with the Providence club the Ufa, Russia native appeared in 35 games while producing 4-5-9 offensive numbers. RinksideRhodeIsland.com founder/hockey writer Mark Divver gives a great explanation below in a Tweet earlier today on why the 20-year-old forward was demoted to the lower developmental level.
Providence Bruins rookie Pavel Shen hasn’t been in lineup lately with team on a roll, so he’s headed to Atlanta. Gladiators have 9 games in 18 days coming up so he should get ice time
The last time Shen got into game action was back on February 26th,2020, in a 6-2 beat down of the host Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. In that game against the Penguins, he recorded an assist on the second-period goal from defenseman Cooper Zech snapping a six-game pointless streak. As a young prospect, this is a solid move to keep the 6′-1″ 183-pound center moving with available ice-time as Divver mentions in his Tweet above. No need to keep a guy around just practicing and viewing games from the press box on the regular.
The ECHL Atlanta Gladiators team has really come together lately and making a drive up the South Division standings sitting in fourth place, one point behind the Greenville Swamp Rabbits who are in third with 63 points. With Eastern Conference teams such as the South Carolina Stingrays, Florida Everblades, Newfoundland Growlers, and Reading Royals clinching 2020 postseason births, the Atlanta club sits in the eighth position with a 29-28-2-2 record. The Gladiators 2019-20 regular season might not be impressive to most but it’s what the team has done in the last three weeks compiling an 8-0-1-1 record and getting closer to Kelly Cup Playoff contention.
The Atlanta club didn’t qualify for the postseason last season (2018-19) but did the previous campaign in 2017-18 when they faced the powerful Florida Everblades who swept the team from Georgia in the first-round 4-0. That was the first time the Gladiators qualified for the postseason after four playoff-less years. the addition of Shen could help out the surging Atlanta club and might spark some offensive creativity that he was lacking in Providence. The next contest for the Gladiators and potentially Pavel’s first regular-season game in the ECHL could be Friday night March 13th on the road against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 169 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!
Now, Murphy needs more than just Marchy to help her earn an even more prestigious recognition: Upper Deck’s #UltimateMVP award!
Jillian Murphy
Last season, Jillian had surgery and missed the @NHLBruins each time. However, she met Marchand at the hospital and complained about their turnovers. He said, “I’m going to think of you yelling at me on TV whenever I turn the puck over.” #UltimateMVP#MyMVPpic.twitter.com/36LIKtyAE6
— Upper Deck Hockey (@UpperDeckHockey) March 5, 2020
That’s right, she needs YOU — the fans of the Boston Bruins, and hockey in general — to show her some love just like he did AND like she does on a daily basis for the B’s:
I need at least 1,000 more votes between now & March 15th to have a shot at winning lol 😂 Like the tweet by Upper Deck Hockey below to vote for me as Ultimate MVP. I’m representing the @NHLBruins. A vote for me is a vote for the Bruins! #NHLBruins#Bruins#boston#BruinsNationhttps://t.co/EHnJt244Du
Speaking of likes… that’s what it will take to make her UD’s top fan! People need to click on the tweet she shared from @UpperDeckHockey, LIKE IT by clicking on the “heart” button and then telling others via shares and comments to do the same!
As Russo pointed out in his feature piece on Murphy, she suffers from a genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which limits her mobility and requires the use of a wheelchair. And it was Marchand who sent her plenty of hearts when he invited the Murphy’s to not only experience the B’s up close and personal on TD Garden Ice, but also in the locker room post game one year ago this week:
Thanks for all the positive criticism regarding my play this evening! great spending time with you 🙂 https://t.co/fLWbvQ0peT
Now, with the calendar flipped to 2020, Murphy has her sights set on another goal (and perhaps Marchand, too, if he can stop “the turnovers” she so comically chirped him about online): becoming OUR Boston Bruins MVP online! And as you can see from her very inspiring and supportive Twitter account, she’s definitely more than qualified for the job.
So, what say you Black N’ Gold brethren? Can we help Murph MARCH to the top of the #MyMVP competition at Upper Deck Hockey? I most certainly think we can. After all, the puck stops here!
(Photo Credit: Bruins Pinterest)
(Photo Credit: 
(Photo Credit: Upper Deck Hockey)