Providence Bruins Take Six Points on the Weekend

Last weekend the Providence Bruins played Saturday in Bridgeport and Sunday in Providence. They fell in regulation to the Sound Tigers 4-2 on Saturday and then lost to them in overtime 2-1 on Sunday. This weekend they played three home games. After taking a 4-2 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night and blanking the Laval Rocket 3-0 on Sunday, it was time to face the Bridgeport Sound Tigers again in a President’s Day matinee on Monday.

Going into Monday’s game, the two teams had now seen each other eight times in the season. Overall, the Providence Bruins held a 4-3-1 record, though they had been stronger on the road (3-1-0) than at home (1-2-1).

“We had a real tough week to be honest. We put the work in, which was good, I think. We were unhappy with our performance of the weekend before and I think we all recognized that and they went to work this week and it certainly wasn’t perfect but got timely goaltending and timely scoring and then filled in between was some good play which was good,” said head coach Jay Leach after Monday’s game.

Between the pipes it was Max Lagace for the Providence Bruins and Christopher Gibson for the Sound Tigers—a repeat from the Bruins loss on February 8. Given how the team was feeling, it was not surprising to see a bit of extra push from the players.

When Ryan Fitzgerald put his 12th of the season in to get the Bruins on the board first at 6:45 of the opening frame of Monday’s game, Oskar Steen got the primary assist, but Lagace also had an assist. They were outshooting the Sound Tigers at the end of the first period and as things got underway in the second, Cameron Hughes gave Providence their second goal of the game, assisted by Jack Studnicka. Studnicka now leads the Providence Bruins with 20 assists. He has 19 goals and those 20 assists for 39 points. Bridgeport managed to tie things up in the second, getting their first at 5:40 and their second at 14:05 of the period.

Despite the tie, the Providence players did not show any concern or change their play. And 1:54 later Brendan Gaunce had his 14th goal of the season assisted by Joona Koppanen and Steen.

“Koppanen was in a good spot. I was trying to kind of force [[Steen] back down the wall but he passed it to Koppanen… obviously right on Koppanen’s tape and then I just saw that there was no D on my side so I just turned up the ice and [Koppanen] made a nice pass and then I tried to finish it,” said Gaunce.

Gaunce scored against the Penguins on Friday and then got one against the Rocket on Sunday. His goal on Monday meant he had goals in three consecutive games, and points in four straight.

“Gaunce has been good. We switched him to the wing about maybe a month ago. But he’s been productive and timely, I would say. To bury on that chance there at the end of the second period; it’s a 2-2 game and [Koppanen] makes a nice play, is huge and that’s what we need out of our veteran players. So, he’s been more productive I think than maybe—I don’t want to say than we expected—but certainly happy to get the production and hopefully it continues,” Coach Leach said.

In the end that would be the last goal scored by either team, giving Gaunce the game-winner. It was his fifth game-winning goal of the season and his second on the weekend. His goal against Laval on Sunday was also the game-winner.

Like their NHL parent, the Boston Bruins, there is a definite “team first” mentality. Even when asking players about particular goals or saves, they can’t help but deflect the attention from themselves to their team as a whole. Such was the case Monday with both Gaunce and Lagace.

“I thought all weekend we worked really hard and that’s how we create our chances and that’s kind of how we got all three wins. So, when we play confident like that. We’re a really good team,” said Gaunce of their weekend sweep.

“The third period I thought the guys played really well, they actually did play really well a lot of the whole game, gave me the help I needed when I needed it and I only had to make a couple saves, you know. So, it’s a nice team win, and it’s a great weekend,” shared Lagace.

The Providence Bruins will return to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center for two homestands on Saturday, February 22nd, against the Springfield Falcons and then on Sunday, February 23rd, against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.