Shark Attack in the 3rd Period Beats P-Bruins

Defenseman Kevan Miller had his first multi-point night of the year with 2 assists in Providence’s 5-3 loss to Worcester on Saturday evening.

The Providence Bruins fell to the Worcester Sharks at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA on Saturday evening in a 5-3 loss that was uncharacteristic of the previous 11 meetings between the 2 teams. It was the last game between the divisional rivals this year and despite the loss, Providence came out on top with a 6-5-0-2 record. Instead of hitting the 40 win mark tonight, however, the P-Bruins hit the 20 loss mark and had their 5-game winning streak broken. They are now 39-20-0-5 with 12 games left in the regular season, still good for 1st in the division but fall to 3rd overall in the East.

Read more after the cut.

Pregaming: Providence @ Worcester

Tonight is the final game between Providence and Worcester this season. Goaltender Harri Sateri will be getting his 7th start in a row and only his 3rd against Providence this season. Jamie Tardif looks to keep the P-Bruins successful power play rolling.

Providence faces off against the Worcester Sharks tonight in Worcester in the 12th and final meeting between the teams this season. Providence, looking to extend their current winning streak to 5 games (and win streak over Worcester to 6 straight) leads the season series 6-3-0-2, but all of the games have been nail-biters. 5 have gone to shootouts, with Providence having the 3-2 edge in shootouts. Their last meeting on March 9th in Worcester also ended in a shootout and Providence skated away with a 4-3 victory.

The P-Bruins have 63 of 76 games under their belts and have earned a 39-19-0-5 record thus far. They sit atop the Atlantic division, 2nd in the Eastern Conference, and 3rd in the AHL.

Worcester is coming off of a loss. They have played 60 games but only have 63 points with a 28-25-1-6 record, placing them 4th in the Atlantic division and 12th in the East. They sit 6 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot, which is currently occupied for the Hershey Bears, who have 69 points.

Read more after the cut!

P-Bruins Silence Sound Tigers

Good job being awesome, Cunningham. Keep up the good work.

The Providence Bruins have extended their winning streak to 4 games with a 3-1 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Friday night. Craig Cunningham has 2 goals and Justin Florek had the empty netter to insure the victory. Michael Hutchinson made 26 saves in net in helping the Bruins improve to 39-19-0-5 this season.

Penalties were aplenty in this game and although both teams had a power play goal, the scoring didn’t begin until halfway through the game. About midway into the 2nd period, Cunningham scored his 21st goal of the season with assists to Graham Mink and David Warsofsky. Mink now has 4 points in his last 4 games.

Bridgeport tied the game up at 8:44 of the 3rd period. With Colby Cohen – a last minute addition in lieu of Matt Bartkowski‘s Boston recall – in the penalty box for slashing, Sean Wiles got his 1st goal of the season. The power play goal was assisted by Jon Landry and Matt Donovan.

2 minutes later, at 10:49 of the 3rd, Cunningham would strike again. With Bridgeport’s Ty Wishart in the box for a delay of game call, Cunningham put Providence ahead for the 2nd time that night with his 22nd goal of the season and 2nd goal of the game. Zach Trotman got the primary assist, and Warsofsky also picked up an assist for his 2nd of the game.

In the final minute of the game, the Sound Tigers – already on a power play thanks to a cross-checking penalty to Trotman – pulled goaltender Kenny Reiter for a 6-on-4 advantage to push for the tying goal. Florek picked up the shorthanded empty netter to ensure the 3-1 victory for the P-Bruins, notching his 10th goal of the season at 19:51 of the 3rd period with assists from Garnet Exelby and Colby Cohen.

Alex Khokhlachev made his debut tonight, but his name only showed up on the score sheet under the penalty column. He was whistled for tripping 30 seconds into the 2nd period. He recorded 1 shot on net. His wingers had a handful of shots – 2 for Kyle MacKinnon and 3 for Jamie Tardif – but Providence spent the majority of the night killing penalties or (with the exception of Cunningham’s goal) trying to convert on their own power plays with futility.

The goaltenders were both strong – Hutchinson earned the 2nd star and Reiter, who made 27 saves, was 3rd star. Cunningham was the 1st star. Cunningham has scored 7 of his 22 goals this season against Bridgeport.

Florek has been making a big impact in the month of March. His goal tonight was his 5th this month, meaning he has scored 50% of his goals this season since his 2-goal game on March 3rd.

Providence travels to Worcester tomorrow to face the Sharks in their final game of the weekend.

Pregaming: Bridgeport @ Providence

Max Sauve has scored 3 goals in 4 games, which means 30% of his total goals scored this season have come in the last 4 games. He returned from injury on March 3 after missing 9 games. He has 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games against Bridgeport this season. He is also from France (not relevant but fun fact).

The Providence Bruins look to extend their winning streak to 4 games tonight as they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence. The P-Bruins hope to leave for their extended road trip on a positive note; after tonight’s home game, they will be on the road for the next 7 games, not returning to The Dunk until April 12th.

This is the 7th of 8 meetings between the 2 teams this season. Providence, after losing the first 2 games of the season series, has won the last 4, including sweeping a home-and-home on February 15th and 16th by a total score of 12-6 in 2 games.

Team Stats

• Providence is 1st in the Atlantic division, 2nd in the Eastern Conference, and 3rd in the AHL overall with a 38-19-0-5 record after 62 games.
• The Sound Tigers are fighting for their playoff lives with 15 games left in the season, currently sitting at 4th in the Northeast Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference. Bridgeport has a record of 26-25-6-4 in 61 games, but their 62 points is only 6 points behind 8th place Connecticut.
• Providence has a favorable home record (21-9-0-3), and the visiting Sound Tigers have a poor road record (11-17-3-1).
• Providence is 7-2-0-1 in the last 10; Bridgeport is 4-2-3-1.
• Power Play: Providence ranks 8th in the AHL (18.5%); Bridgeport is 13th (17.2%)
• Penalty Kill: Providence ranks 8th (84.9%); Bridgeport is 27th (80.3%)

Goaltending Match Up

• Hutchinon v Reiter

The starting goaltenders for both teams will have the night off as Bridgeport’s Rick DiPietro will miss the game due to illness and Niklas Svedberg will rest up for a game against Worcester tomorrow night. This means Michael Hutchinson will get the start in net for Providence. Hutchinson is 8-12-3 this season, posting a .911 save % and 2.38 GAA. He has 1 shutout. Hutchinson started 1 game against Bridgeport previously this year, which was the 1st game against the Sound Tigers back in October when the Bruins lost 4-2.

Starting in net for Bridgeport will be rookie Kenny Reiter. He has yet to post a win this season, going 0-4-1 with a .913 save % and 2.69 GAA.

Fresh Faces and Line Up Notes

Bridgeport announced the addition of 2 new players to the roster today with the signings of 2 forwards – Sean Wiles out of the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers (to a PTO) and Joey Diamond out of the University Maine of the NCAA to an ATO.

Meanwhile, Alex Khokhlachev will make his much-anticipated professional debut for the Providence Bruins. He will center a line with Jamie Tardif and Kyle MacKinnon.

Unfortunately, Providence will be without top forwards Ryan Spooner (still on NHL callup, obviously), Chris Bourque (upper body), and Christian Hanson (hand). Tyler Randell and Jared Knight are also out with injuries, although Knight is optimistic about returning to the lineup soon. On defense, Colby Cohen and Tommy Cross will be healthy scratches.

Scoring Leaders

• Camper, Cunningham, Krug, Tardif
• DeFazio, Wishart; Niederreiter, Nelson, Donovan

In the season series between Providence and Bridgeport, Carter Camper has 7 points in 6 games. All 7 points are assists. Torey Krug has 6 points in 6 games (2 G, 4 A), and an uncharacteristic fighting major. Craig Cunningham has 5 goals in 6 games against the Sound Tigers.

Camper has 37 points this season (6 G, 31 A), 3rd on the team behind Spooner and Tardif. Camper has only appeared in 44 of the 62 games for Providence.

Cunningham is right behind Camper on the scoring sheet with 33 points (20 G, 13 A). Krug also has 33 points (9 G, 24 A).

Cunningham is the only player to appear in all 62 games for Providence this season.

Brandon DeFazio has 6 points against Providence in 6 games this season for Bridgeport (3 G, 3 A). Ty Wishart also has 6 points in 6 games (2 G, 4 A). Wishart only 15 points total on the season (4 G, 11 A), while DeFazio is only slightly better with 17 points (9 G, 8 A).

Bridgeport’s leading scorers are Nino Niederreiter, who has 26 G and 19 A for 45 points. Behind him is Brock Nelson (17 G, 25 A = 42 Pts), and defenseman Matt Donovan (9 G, 23 A = 32 pts).

Who & What to Look Out For

• Khokhlachev, Krug, Sauve
• Special teams

Aside from the obvious (Khokhlachev), Bruins fans should keep an eye out for Krug (as usual), who is on a 5 game point streak in which he has tallied 7 assists. Max Sauve has also gotten hot as of late after having a disappointing season – he has 3 goals in the last 4 games.

Tardif is returning to the lineup after missing 2 games with a brief injury. He and MacKinnon, who has 3 points in 3 games, should benefit greatly from having Khokhlachev as their centerman. Tardif still is one of the league leaders in PP goals, ranking 2nd in the AHL with 12.

Speaking of power play goals – did you notice the Bruins PP ranking climbing along with the PK? They have been fantastic the last few months on special teams. PP success usually dictates individual game success for the Bruins in this 2nd half of the season. In the last 10 games, they have had a PP of 26.3% – scoring 10 PP goals in 38 opportunities. They have gone only 2 games in that span without a PP goal, but have twice scored 2 PP goals in 1 game.

Their PK has also been unreal – they haven’t allowed a power play goal since February 26th! That’s 9 games with a PK success rate of 100% on 35 penaly kills. In the last 10 games, they have killed 38 of 39 – that’s 97%.

Hopefully they can keep up the great work against a desperate Sound Tigers team tonight.

P-Bruins Moving Up in the East; Fallstrom Debuts Today

Fresh out of 4 years of college hockey at Harvard, Alex Fallstrom will make his professional debut today with Providence. He was signed to an entry level contract by the Boston Bruins yesterday. (Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels/Flickr: bridgetds)

Recap: Providence 5, Springfield 2

The Providence Bruins completed a home-and-home sweep of the Springfield Falcons on Saturday night in Springfield when they beat the Falcons for the 2nd time in 2 nights to move into 2nd place overall in the Eastern Conference. Niklas Svedberg got his 2nd start and 2nd win in 2 nights, giving the rookie goalie 30 wins on the season in his 27-save performance. Kyle MacKinnon scored twice, earning 1st star honors, while Ryan Spooner had a goal and an assist and Torey Krug and Carter Camper each had 2 assists.

Providence put 35 shots on Springfield’s Curtis McElhinney, beating him 4 times and adding an empty-netter at the end. They first had to overcome an early deficit after Springfield’s Nathan Moon put the Falcons up 1-0 10:04 into the 1st period on his 2nd goal of the season from Dalton Smith.

Justin Florek tied it up at 17:45 of the 1st when he netted his 7th point in 6 games, and 2nd goal in 2 games. Florek’s 9th goal of the season was assisted by Colby Cohen and David Warsofsky.

The 2 teams remained deadlocked through the 2nd period, when Springfield out-shot Providence 12-7 but came up empty-handed. In the 3rd period, Providence jumped to the lead on their only power play opportunity of the night. Springfield’s Spencer Machachek was sent to the penalty box for interference 1:04 into the 3rd period, and 58 seconds later, Spooner had his 11th goal of the season from Krug and Camper.

Nick Drazenovic tied the game at 2 9:04 into the 3rd period. His 17th of the season came from Ryan Russel and Bryan Helmer. Kyle MacKinnon put Providenec back on top a few minutes later, 13:02 into the 3rd period, on his 11th of the season, assisted by Spooner and Graham Mink.

Max Sauve gave Providence it’s first 2-goal lead of the night at 16:36 of the 3rd. Craig Cunningham and Camper set Sauve up for his 9th of the season to give Providence a 4-2 edge. MacKinnon scored his 2nd of the night and added the insurance goal for a 5-2 victory at 18:35 after Springfield had pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker. Krug picked up a helper on MacKinnon’s 12th of the season.

With the win, Providence leapfrogged Springfield in the conference standings to secure 2nd place, which they look to defend today against divisional rival Manchester Monarchs.

Preview: Manchester @ Providence

Providence sits atop the Atlantic Division and 2nd in the Eastern Conference with their 37-19-0-5 record, which gives them 79 points in 61 games this season. Manchester is 29-25-3-4 for 65 points in 61 games this season. They are 3rd in the Atlantic and 10th in the Eastern Conference, only 1 point out of 8th place and fighting for their playoff lives.

• Season Series: Providence has the edge so far at 6-4-0-0
• Last 10: Providence is 6-2-0-2; Manchester is 7-1-1-1
• At home, Providence is 20-9-0-3
• On the road, Manchester is 14-14-1-1
• Goal differential: Providence is +19; Manchester is +9
• Power play: Providence ranks 9th (18.4%); Manchestser ranks 22nd (15.0%)
• Penalty kill: Providence ranks 8th (84.9%); Manchester ranks 14th (83.6%)

Manchester’s top scorer, and top rookie scorer in the AHL, Tyler Toffoli, made his NHL debut with the Kings last night, and will not be with the Monarchs. They still have a top scorer in Linden Vey, who ranks 5th overall in the AHL in scoring with 55 points (15 G, 40 A), and 1st in the AHL in assists with 40.

Alex Fallstrom, who was signed to an entry-level contract yesterday by the Boston Bruins, will play today for Providence. Fallstrom is a native Swede who has played with the Harvard hockey team for 4 years. Before that, he attended prestigious Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a private high school that boasts alum such as Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews.

Although he did not dress the last 2 nights, Michael Hutchinson will start for Providence today.

P-Bruins Top Penguins 2-0; Face Worcester Tonight

Christian Hanson has 24 points this season and is currently on a 5 game point streak (1 goal, 4 assists).

Recap: Providence 2, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 0

Michael Hutchinson got his 1st shutout of the season, making 20 saves to blank the Wilkes-Barres/Scranton Penguins in the P-Bruins 2-0 win on Friday night. Craig Cunningham scored his 4th goal in 2 games and Graham Mink notched his 8th goal of the season. The Penguins, who have the top-ranked penalty kill in the AHL, gave up 2 power play goals to Providence on 5 P-Bruins PP opportunities.

The scoring didn’t start until the 3rd period, and action didn’t pick up until the 2nd period after a slow 1st period that saw each team put just 3 shots on net apiece. 2 seconds into the middle frame, however, the intensity picked up when the Penguins Zach Sill and P-Bruins Tyler Randell dropped the gloves. Colby Cohen picked up a fighting major 5 minutes later, and soon after a 3rd fight broke out between Bobby Farnham and David Warsofsky. Chris Minella and Kevan Miller dropped the gloves just another minute later – all before the halfway mark of the game.

Bobby Robins, despite wearing a full cage due to a broken nose sustained last week, didn’t hesitate to mix it up himself. He went with Philip Samuelsson at 12:35 of the 2nd period, and each player was assessed an additional 10 minute misconduct for “continuing altercation.” Robins was also given a 5 minute major boarding call on the play leading up to the fight.

By the time the 3rd period rolled around, shots were 12-10 in favor of the Penguins with W-B/S goaltender Jeff Zatkoff stopped all 10 shots faced. That changed when Alex Grant was assessed an interference penalty at 4:58 of the 3rd period and red-hot Cunningham converted on the ensuing power play. Cunningham’s 18th goal of the season – 2nd on the team only behind Jamie Tardif – was assisted by Tardif and Ryan Spooner at 5:58 of the 3rd.

After Providence successfully killed off a penalty to Cohen mid-way through the 3rd, they were put on the power play again at 13:53 of the 3rd when Trevor Smith was sent to the box for roughing. Providence, who went 2-for-5 on the PP last night, scored their 2nd goal and 2nd power play goal of the night when Mink converted on his 6th of the season from Christian Hanson and Cohen.

Although he didn’t pick up any points, Torey Krug led all skaters with 5 shots on net. Chris Bourque, in his first game back in the AHL since early January before the NHL lockout ended, registered 1 shot on net and picked up 1 minor penalty.

Preview: Providence @ Worcester, 7

Niklas Svedberg will get the start in net tonight against divisional rival Worcester Sharks. Defenseman Garnet Exelby, who sat out last night’s game due to suspension, will return to the lineup in place of Tommy Cross.

Providence continues to lead the Atlantic division with 73 points in 57 games (34-18-0-5). They are 3 points ahead of 2nd place Portland Pirates. Worcester is 4th in the division with a record of 26-23-1-5 (58 points in 55 games). Worcester is fighting for a playoff spot, as they currently sit 11th in the Eastern conference, while Providence sits comfortably in 3rd.

This will be the 11th of 12 meetings this season between the 2 teams. Providence currently leads the season series 5-3-0-2. 4 of the previous games have been decided in the shootout, with each team winning 2 of those shootouts. Providence has picked up points in 4 straight games and are 14-4 in the last 18 games.

Team Numbers:

• Last 10: Providence is 7-1-0-2; Worcester 5-5-0-0
• On the road, Providence is 15-10-0-2; at home, Worcester is 10-10-1-3.
• Providence has a goal differential of +16 (161 goals for, 145 goals against); Worcester’s goal differential is -18 (135 GF, 153 GA)
• PP: Providence ranks 13th in the league with 17.6%; Worcester is 19th with 15.5%
• PK: Providence is 12th with 84.3%; Worcester is 14th at 83.5%

After tonight’s game in Worcester, the P-Bruins will host the Connecticut Whale in Providence at 3pm.

Baby Bruins Blank Admirals

Matt Bartkowski had 3 assists tonight, improving his point total in February to 9 (1 goal, 8 assists) and 19 on the season (3 goals, 16 assists). He also had a goal in the final seconds of the 1st period waved off. He earned 3rd star honors behind Graham Mink and Niklas Svedberg. (Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels/Flickr bridgetds)

The Providence Bruins have collected yet another win in their impressive streak through the month of February when they defeated the Norfolk Admirals 3-0 on Friday night at Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia. The win is the P-Bruins 5th in a row and makes them 8-1-0-0 in the month of February and 31-17-0-3 (65 points) overall on the season. Providence remains in control of the Atlantic division, now 3 points ahead of the 2nd place Portland Pirates, who did not play tonight.

Niklas Svedberg made 21 saves in net, earning his 3rd shutout of the season and extending his personal unbeaten streak to 10 games. The rookie goaltender also earned his 25th win of the season, placing him only 1 win behind Rochester Americans goaltender David Leggio (who played tonight and lost) for 1st place in wins by AHL goaltenders this season.

On the opposite end of the rink, Admirals goaltender Igor Bobkov was pulled in the 2nd period after he gave up the 3rd goal of the game – a shorthanded goal to Trent Whitfield. Bobkov ended up surrendering 3 goals on 19 shots. Rookie goaltender Frederik Andersen finished the game without letting in any goals, making 13 saves.

Providence took 2 early penalties – hooking on Colby Cohen and tripping on Kyle MacKinnon – and successfully killed both off, thanks to Svedberg making a few brilliant saves. They then got their opportunity on the power play when Norfolk’s John Mitchell took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at 14:40 of the 1st period. Providence wasted little time in drawing first blood.

The top star of the night was Providence forward Graham Mink, who had 2 power play goals. He scored his 1st on Providence’s 1st power play of the night when he deflected a shot from the point. It was his 4th goal of the season, with assists to Matt Bartkowski and Jordan Caron at 16:17 of the 1st period.

Providence went on the power play again with 2 seconds left in the 1st period when Brayden Irwin got a delay of game penalty. Coach Butch Cassidy opted to pull Svedberg with 2 seconds left and an offensive zone face-off, and although Bartkowski managed to score off the faceoff win, review of the goal determined that time on the clock had elapsed before the puck crossed the goal line.

Providence rebounded quickly at the start of the 2nd period, still on the power play when Mink scored his 2nd power play goal of the night to give Providence a 2-0 lead. This time, Mink was able to slam home the rebound of a Cohen shot from the point. Mink’s 5th goal of the season game at 0:46 of the 2nd and was assisted by Cohen and Bartkowski.

Mink was in the penalty box for the next goal, serving a bench minor for too many men at 8:02 of the 2nd period when Bartkowski – who had a brilliant game and earned 3rd star – sprung Whitfield up the left wing on a shorthanded bid that beat Bobkov. Whitfield’s 3rd goal of the season came at 8:07 of the 2nd and was assisted by Bartkowski, who picked up 3 assists total tonight.

Obviously with 2 power play goals and a shorthanded goal, specialty teams were the story of the game. Providence was 2-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. Providence now improves to 13-for-50 on the power play in the month of February thus far (26%) and 31-for-33 on the penalty kill (93.9%). They have outscored their opponents 35-19 (+16 goal differential) this month as well, out-shooting them 283 to 251, including 32 to 21 tonight.

Whitfield led all skaters with 5 shots on net, followed by Mink with 4. Alden Hirschfeld, MacKinnon, and Ryan Spooner each had 3. Caron, who had 1 assist and 1 shot, was stopped on a breakaway in the 1st period.

These two teams meet again at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia tomorrow night with a 7:15 puck drop.

Providence Wins 4th in a Row

Craig Cunningham’s 14th goal of the season was the game winner tonight and earned him the 2nd star in Providence’s 3-1 win over Worcester to wrap up a 3-0 weekend.

The Providence Bruins went undefeated this weekend and extended their winning streak to 4 games with a 3-1 win over divisional rival the Worcester Sharks this afternoon. With the win today, Providence remains in 1st place in the Atlantic division, clinging to a 1-point lead over the 2nd place Portland Pirates. The P-Bruins are now 30-17-0-3 this season.

Niklas Svedberg played in Friday and Saturday’s wins over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, extending his personal winning streak to 9 games. Today, Michael Hutchinson got the start in net for the P-Bruins and earned number one star honors with 32 saves on 33 shots.

Jordan Caron, who was named number one star in Friday night’s victory, was 3rd star in today’s win; Craig Cunningham was the 2nd star. Caron had a goal and an assist, while Cunningham had the game-winning goal.

Providence played today without one of their top scorers, Carter Camper, who was injured in the 2nd period of Saturday’s game.

Caron opened the scoring after Worcester’s Matt Tennyson went to the penalty box for goaltender interference at 7:41 of the 1st period. 9:31 into the period, Caron converted on the power play to record his 8th goal of the season with assists from Christian Hanson and Matt Bartkowski.

In the 2nd period, Providence again capitalized on the power play when Worcester’s Nick Petrecki was called for slashing at 15:48. Cunningham netted his 14th of the season on the man advantage at 16:45 of the 2nd from Tommy Cross and Graham Mink. Mink notably recorded his 500th career AHL point on Saturday night after playing in his 700th career AHL game on Friday night.

The Sharks cut the Bruins lead in half at 17:11 of the 3rd period on a goal by Yanni Gourde. Gourde’s 7th goal of the season was assisted by Jon Matsumoto and Danny Groulx.

The Bruins regained a 2-goal lead when captain Trent Whitfield buried an empty net goal in the final seconds of the game, solidifying a 3-1 victory. Whitfield’s 3rd goal of the season was assisted by Caron and Kevan Miller.

Providence was 2-for-5 on the power play today, and a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill. They were out-shot 33 to 30 in the game.

Although Torey Krug‘s recent point streak ended this weekend, he recorded a team-high 3 shots on net, along with Colby Cohen.

The P-Bruins next play next Friday, February 22nd at the Norfolk Admirals.

Pregaming: Providence @ Bridgeport

Carter Camper, pictured here against the Sound Tigers earlier this season, had 3 points against Bridgeport when Providence beat them 5-4 on January 11.

Providence Bruins, 22-16-0-3=47 points in 41 games, 2nd in Atlantic division, 5th in Eastern Conference

@ Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Baby NY Islanders), 19-19-2-2=42 points in 42 games, 4th in Northeast division, 12th in Eastern Conference

Tonight, Bridgeport and Providence meet for the 4th time this season. Bridgeport has won 2 of the previous 3 meetings this season. Providence was victorious in the most recent match-up, which took place on January 11, when they skated away with a 5-4 win.

Providence has all the momentum coming into tonight. They are 5-4 in the last 10; Bridgeport is 2-7-1-0. Providence is riding a 2-game winning streak prior to the All-Star break; Bridgeport is coming off of a 5-0 shutout at the hands of the Norfolk Admirals. Bridgeport’s leading scorer, Nino Niederreiter (19 goals, 17 assists) recently asked for a trade because he is unhappy playing in the AHL.

Bridgeport does have one advantage: their power play is ranked 6th (20.3%) while Providence’s is 24th at 15.3%. Providence’s penalty kill is mediocre at 16th overall in the league, an 82.5% success rate. Bridgeport’s is ranked lower, at 22nd, for 81.1% success rate.

Look for Niklas Svedberg to get the start in net for the P-Bruins tonight. The rookie goaltender is 18-6-2-1 this season, posting a 2.34 GAA and 0.921 save %. Jordan Caron will also suit up for the 2nd straight game after returning from injury. Colbey Cohen will play in his first P-Bruins game since he sustained an injury in early December, while Christian Hanson will miss the game with the flu. He will be replaced with Tyler Randell.

Leading scorer Jamie Tardif (20 goals, 9 assists) is 1 point away from 30 points on the season. Carter Camper, with 19 assists, surpassed Ryan Spooner (18 assists) as the team leader in that category, finally showing offensive spark after a tough early portion of the season. Spooner has one of the highest +/- ratings on the team with +8. And while the Boston Bruisn and Buffalo Sabres NHL game promises to be a boxing match, Bridgeport and Providence have had some brutal clashes in the past – notably between two of the leading fighters in the AHL in Bobby Robins and Nathan McIver (to name a few). Just take a look at the score sheet from the November 18 game in Providence.

The game starts at 7:00 pm tonight!

Svedberg Practices, Providence Transactions and Updates

Providence has called up South Carolina goaltender Adam Morrison just in case Niklas Svedberg is too sick to play tomorrow. Morrison played for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL last season when Boston signed the former Flyers 3rd-round pick to a 3-year entry level contract. (Photo Credit: Caelie_Frampton/Flickr)

The Providence Bruins practiced today after a 3-0 loss to the Manchester Monarchs last night with goaltender Niklas Svedberg, who missed last night’s game due to the flu, back on the ice and skating with the team.

After signing former Northeasern college and ECHL goaltender Adam Geragosian to an emergency PTO (professional tryout) contract last night in the absence of Svedberg and a backup for Michael Hutchinson, Providence released Geragosian today. South Carolina Stingrays goaltender Adam Morrison was called up from the ECHL today, “just in case” Svedberg might not be well enough to dress for tomorrow night’s game against Portland.

Morrison is a 22-year-old British Columbia-born goaltender that was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2009 at 81st overall in the 3rd round. Boston signed him to an entry-level contract on March 15th of 2012. He spent 4 seasons in the WHL, playing for the Saskatoon Blades and Vancouver Giants. Although he had good numbers in the WHL, his 1st year in the ECHL is not as impressive.

In 10 games played for the Stingrays this year, Morrison is 1-6-0-2 with 39 goals against (4.07 GAA) and 0.877 save %. His only win game in his 1st game back on October 13th. He played 5 games in October, then his games played diminished to 2 in November, 2 in December, and just 1 in January. He has played 1 game in the AHL, with Providence, on April 14th of last year in a 4-2 loss. He made 35 saves. It doesn’t appear that he will need to dress for a game for Providence and if he does, it will be merely as a backup.

In more transactions, Tyler McNeely has been sent back to South Carolina of the ECHL. After playing 38 games with the Stingrays to start the season, Providence signed him to a PTO on January 10, 2013. He had 1 point in 4 games and registered a -5 with 14 penalty minutes.

Providence has also sent Eric Baier back to Trenton Titants of the ECHL. In 3 games with Providence, he had no points or penalty minutes. He hadn’t played in a game since January 13th.

The P-Bruins look to rebound from last night’s shutout when they host the Pirates tomorrow night. We will have a game preview for you later today!

UPDATE: Providence Defenseman Colby Cohen has also been assigned to South Carolina of the ECHL. And to clarify on statements above, McNeely and Baier were not “sent down” to their respective ECHL teams; they were released from their PTO contracts and therefore returned to the teams they were with beforehand.