
The Providence Bruins stumbled across the regular-season finish line with a pair of losses over the weekend.
Resting several of their top players on Friday night, they dropped a 4-1 decision on the road against the Utica Comets.
At home on Saturday night, with a chance to set an AHL record for single-season point percentage, the P-Bruins lost, 4-2, to Utica, which needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. It was a flat end to a wildly entertaining regular season.
“We weren’t playing how we needed to play to win. We weren’t valuing the things that we value. We’re a team that, we can’t just put our sticks in and go play and feel good about ourselves. We have to have a certain workers’ mindset,” said coach Ryan Mougenel.
“It got away from us in the second period and in the third. We took a lot of penalties, which is a little bit uncharacteristic. Then they stole the momentum and that’s what teams that are desperate, that’s what you have to do to win. We didn’t have the desperation that they had.”
Next up is the playoffs, where anything can happen, regardless of where you finished in the regular season.
“Are we the most talented bunch? I wouldn’t say that. I would say that we’re a good team and when we play the way we need to play, we’re tough to beat,” said Mougenel.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— The P-Bruins finished with the best record in the AHL at 54-16-2. They earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs and are the top seed in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference.
— Michael DiPietro was named to the AHL First All-Star Team for the second year in a row. He finished with a 34-8-1 record with a .930 save percentage and 1.91 goals-against average, three shutouts and three assists.
— Patrick Brown was named winner of the AHL’s Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award, which goes to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey.” Brown ended the regular season with a career-best 20-34-54 in 70 games. His plus-36 was second in the AHL.
— Matej Blumel scored Providence’s only goal on Friday night and posted a goal and an assist on Saturday. He finished with 21-31-52 in 58 games.
— Georgii Merkulov had an assist on Friday and a goal on Saturday. He led the team in scoring for the fourth straight year with 24-37-61 in 70 games.
— Frederic Brunet had an assist on Friday and two on Saturday. He paced Providence defensemen with 12-24-36 in 65 games.
— Providence had the top road power play in the league at 26.5 percent.
— They went 40-4 in games where they scored the first goal. They won all four of their games that went to a shootout.
— Providence went 37-12-1 against the Atlantic Division and 17-4-1 against the North Division.
BAD
— No one knows when the P-Bruins will play their next game. Too much time off can be a problem.
— Providence shot itself in the foot by taking seven penalties on Saturday.
— After watching referees Mike Dietrich and Johnny Daniels work Saturday’s game, here’s hoping all the AHL referees raise their game in the playoffs the same way the players will.
— Matt Poitras had a good season, but his production dried up down the stretch. He’s gone 13 games without a goal and nine games without a point.
— In contrast with the AHL-best road power play, the home PP finished 28th at 15 percent.
— It was after 3 a.m. on Saturday when the bus arrived back from Utica.
UGLY
— Injured: Dans Locmelis, Victor Soderstrom








