Month: October 2025

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins weekend

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Frederic Brunet, left, Alex Steeves, center, and Fabian Lysell celebrate Lysell’s game-winning goal on Friday night. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

The good times continue to roll for the Providence Bruins.

They extended their franchise-record, season-opening undefeated streak to six with a pair of home wins over the weekend.

On Friday, the P-Bruins pulled out a 5-3 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds. On Sunday, they beat the Bridgeport Islanders for the third time this season, 4-1.

“There was a lot to like today,” coach Ryan Mougenel said after Sunday’s game. “When guys get put into the lineup like (Colin) Felix, who hadn’t played in two weeks and steps up, plays as hard as he did, there’s a lot to like in that.

“I like our competitiveness. It’s evident in practice. I think some of the guys are having success because of how hard they compete.”

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Riley Tufte had 1-3-4 and was plus-4 on Friday, then added a helper on Sunday. He is third in scoring in the AHL with 4-6-10 in six games. He has points in his last four games. 

— Georgii Merkulov scored twice on Sunday. He’s fifth in the league in scoring with 4-5-9 in six games. He is now in second place on the all-time P-Bruins scoring list with 188 points.

— Patrick Brown scored two goals on Friday and had an assist on Sunday. He has 4-4-8 in six games, good for a tie for eighth in the AHL. He has points in five straight games.

— The power play is third in the league at 33.3 percent.

— After recording two assists on Friday, Brett Harrison scored his first of the year on Sunday.

— Matej Blumel earned two assists on Sunday. He is tied for eighth in the AHL with 2-6-8 in six games.

— Frederic Brunet and Riley Tufte are tied for the AHL lead with plus-nine.

— The Providence roster is completely healthy. That might not seem like a big deal only 15 days into the season, but players sidelined because of injuries is usually such a day-to-day reality that it is notable when no one is hurt.

— Fabian Lysell displayed an impressive burst of speed late in Friday’s game, sailing in on a breakaway and scoring the game-winner. After scoring at a rate of 12 to 13 percent in his first three years, he’s scoring at a rate of 30.8 percent so far this season.

— Providence goaltending was solid in both games. Mike DiPietro stopped 20 of 23 shots against Springfield. Simon Zajicek kicked out 23 of 24 against Bridgeport. Zajicek’s save percentage is .939.

—  Providence poured a season-high 19 shots on the Springfield net in the second period on Friday.

BAD

— Providence squandered a 3-0 lead against Springfield.

— On the AHL TV on Flo Hockey stream on Friday night, the Kiss Cam was occupied showing a couple locking lips in the stands and missed Patrick Brown’s goal in the second period. Come on, guys, be better.

UGLY

— The penalty kill is 29th in the AHL at 70.6 percent. Springfield’s power play went two for two on Friday.

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins weekend

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The puck slides into the net behind Hartford goalie Talyn Boyko after Providence’s Billy Sweezey (6) bulled his way to the net. It was Sweezey’s first goal of the year. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

The Providence Bruins have had some sluggish starts in recent years, but not this season.

They won both their games over the weekend, improving their record to 4-0.

The P-Bruins started with a 5-3 road victory over the Bridgeport Islanders on Friday night. At home on Saturday, they beat the Hartford Wolf Pack, 5-2.

“I think we had a great camp,” coach Ryan Mougenel said of the fast start. “Everybody had a hand in it, from the (Joey) Abates to some of the guys that are even in Maine. It just started off on the right foot. The compete level was evident from day one.

“We’ve been talking about how important the start is. This is probably the first year we got off to the start we really wanted, playing good winning hockey early on. The goaltending’s been awesome.”

In both weekend games, Providence was able to grab the lead and extend it.

“We talked about creating doubt tonight and how important that is. The way you create doubt is by sticking to our structure. Offensive players are going to find ways to create ice and create space for each other and that’s what our offensive guys did. They made a lot of pretty special plays. I liked that we understood the momentum swings.”

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— The power play was on fire on Friday, clicking on three of six chances. It took Providence only five seconds to score on one of the power plays. After an offensive zone faceoff, all five Providence skaters touched the puck before Alex Steeves put it in the net. It went from Matt Poitras to Victor Soderstrom to Matej Blumel to Georgii Merkulov and then to Steeves. The PP has a 37.5 percent success rate, third-best in the AHL.

— Four of the top 10 scorers in the league are Bruins: Georgii Merkulov, Fabian Lysell, Alex Steeves and Matej Blumel.

—  Riley Tufte  scored twice and added an assist in Bridgeport, then chipped in with a goal and an assist against Hartford.

— Patrick Brown had a goal and an assist on Friday and two assists on Saturday.

— Georgii Merkulov recorded two assists against Bridgeport and a goal against Hartford. With 186 points, he is now tied for second all-time with Sergei Zholtok in points with the P-Bruins.

— Dans Locmelis, Jonathan Aspirot and Billy Sweezey scored their first goals of the season over the weekend.

— Blumel had two assists against the Islanders and one against the Wolf Pack.

— Mike DiPietro made 27 saves on 30 shots against Bridgeport. Simon Zajicek stopped 31 of 33 shots against Hartford.

— The P-Bruins are one of seven teams that has not lost a game.

BAD

— A turnover behind the net by Michael DiPietro handed Bridgeport a goal in the first period on Friday.

— The P-Bruins gave up two goals on the penalty kill against the Islanders. The PK is at 76.9 percent, which is 19th in the league.

UGLY

— For the second straight week, there’s no ugly.

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins weekend

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Frederic Brunet is all smiles after his goal in Bridgeport (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins).

The Providence Bruins opened the 2025-26 season with a pair of wins, one on the road and one at home.

On Saturday night, they rallied from two goals down to beat the Bridgeport Islanders, 3-2, in Connecticut.

In the home opener on Sunday, the P-Bruins trailed, 3-2, before exploding for four straight goals on the way to a 6-3 victory in front of 9,093 fans.

“The guys stuck to their identify,” coach Ryan Mougenel said after Sunday’s game. “There were definitely moments where we were bending. We didn’t necessarily break. That’s to be expected early on in the season, kind of building in those habits that protect you. We did a good job of it.”

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— With a hat trick and a primary assist, Fabian Lysell played his best game ever in a Providence uniform on Sunday. All three of the goals were different. The first was on a breakaway; he went to the edge of the crease for the second; and the third came off the rush. He was plus-four for the day.

“It’s good to see Fabian watch a couple of pucks go in the net. For offensive guys it’s always good that they can see the puck go in and start building that confidence. It’s a big part of the game, obviously, feeling good and playing good,” said Mougenel.

“The big thing for us is we want guys’ games in a really good place when they go up. It’s not always necessarily the stat sheet. It’s the wall play, stick details. Those are the things that give you protection and longevity in the NHL and those are the habits we’re trying to build into a lot of our young players like Fabian. Sometimes it takes time.

“I liked that he shot the puck tonight. My favorite goal was the second goal. He went to the net and that’s what happens when you go to the net. He got rewarded.”

— Alex Steeves had a goal and three assists and was plus-four against Charlotte.

— Matt Poitras recorded four assists and was plus-four on Sunday.

— Georgii Merkulov was brilliant on Saturday with a goal and two helpers.

— Matej Blumel, doing what he does best, scored goals in both games.

— After a rough start, Simon Zajicek locked it down and stopped 23 shots in Saturday’s win. His best stop came with seven minutes left, a 10-bell save on Joey Larson that kept the score at 2-2. It was Zajicek’s first win in the American Hockey League.

— All three of Providence’s goals against the Islanders were of the highlight-reel variety

First, Merkulov showed off his quick, slick hands to score from close range. On the second goal, Merkulov started the play and then Victor Soderstrom made a perfect pass to Frederic Brunet, who buried it. In overtime, the puck went from Brunet to Merkulov to Blumel, who ripped home a one-timer for the win.

— They held Bridgeport to just one shot in the third period.

— Patrick Brown scored a goal and had seven shots on Sunday.

— Michael DiPietro stopped 34 shots against Charlotte.

— Good start for the power play, which went three of six on the weekend.

BAD

Providence allowed two goals in just under two minutes in the first period in Bridgeport. The D pairing of Jonathan Aspirot and Ty Gallagher was on for both goals.

— Hate to start the year dumping on a referee, but I have to call it like I see it: The holding penalty on Victor Soderstrom at the start of the second period in Bridgeport was not referee Chad Ingalls’ best moment.

— The P-Bruins allowed a goal with 32 seconds left in the first period.

UGLY

— Nothing ugly to report at this time. Check back next week.

P-Bruins preview: Vibes are good

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Optimism leading into a Providence Bruins season is nothing new.

Most years that positive feeling proves to be justified.

The P-Bruins haven’t missed the playoffs since 2012, which was Bruce Cassidy’s first year as head coach. They have consistently delivered entertaining hockey with regular season wins outnumbering losses most years.

This season, however, the high hopes are higher than ever.

The P-Bruins head into their first weekend with the deepest roster, top to bottom, they’ve had in recent memory.

There’s a top goaltender, proven scorers and strong defense. All the ingredients for success are there.

You never know what you’re going to get in the six-and-a-half-month battle of attrition that is the AHL regular season, but Providence starts out with the makings of a very strong team.

From the net out, here’s how it looks.

GOALTENDING

The P-Bruins have gotten some of the best goaltending in the league in recent seasons.

Brandon Bussi is gone, but Michael DiPietro returns. He was the AHL’s goaltender of the year and a first-team All-Star last season.

The backup will be Simon Vajicek, a free agent signing from Czechia, who has looked good in the preseason, but is unproven on this side of the Atlantic.

“Goaltending has been a real strong suit and we’ve got Dipper back. I really like Simon. He’s got a tremendous upside,” said coach Ryan Mougenel.

DEFENSE

There’s a good mix of experience and youth on D.

Mike Callahan, Billy Sweezey and Jonathan Aspirot are good, experienced defenders. Frederic Brunet is an up-and-coming two-way defenseman. Victor Soderstrom put up 37 points in 49 games and earned Defenseman of the Year honors in Sweden last year.

Loke Johansson is a first-year pro drafted in the sixth round in 2024.

Ty Gallagher, Jackson Edward, Max Wanner and Colin Felix will battle for ice time.

“I like our depth,” said Mougenel.

FORWARDS

The opening night lineup at forward is impressive.

“We have some offensive weapons, for sure. There’s guys that have had a lot of success at the American League level. I don’t know if in the past we’ve had gifted offensive players like we have up front,” said Mougenel.

At the top of the lineup, at least for the start of the season, are the two top goal-scorers in the AHL last season, Matej Blumel (39 goals) and Alex Steeves (36 goals). Blumel was a first-team All-Star; Steeves was a second teamer.

How it goes in Boston will likely determine if Blumel or Steeves will be around for the short term or the long term, but as long as they’re in Providence they should provide plenty of offensive punch.

Matthew Poitras put up 41 points in 40 AHL games last season. He’s determined to make his way back up to Boston sooner rather than later.

Georgii Merkulov, Providence’s top scorer the last three seasons, is back for a fourth year.

Patrick Brown had a strong camp in Boston. He’s a model captain.

“He does such a good job with all of our guys – teaching them how to be pros, how to act, how to train, how to live it every day,” said Mougenel.

First-rounder Fabian Lysell, in his fourth pro season, looks to rebound after a subpar year.

Riley Tufte, a consistent 20-goal scorer in the AHL, is back. Riley Duran and John Farinacci both got their first taste of the NHL last season. They are looking for more.

Dans Locmelis and Dalton Bancroft, both of whom finished last season with the P-Bruins after their college seasons were over, are expected to contribute offensively. Joey Abate will  continue to provide energy and enthusiasm.

Other forwards in the mix are Brett Harrison, Jordan Schmaltz and Shawn Element.

INTANGIBLES

Providence has outstanding leadership, starting with Brown, Callahan and Sweezey.

“We’re very fortunate to have that around us. I don’t take that for granted,” Mougenel said.

Under Marco Sturm, Boston has made changes in their systems in the defensive zone and neutral zone. Providence will follow suit.

“We’re going to have a couple of tweaks in how we play. There’s going to be teaching moments in that for our D and for the coaches, too. We’re trying to paint a clear picture for our players,” said Mougenel.

“That’s going to be a little bit of a challenge but one that we welcome, too. We’ve played the same way for years. It was nice and refreshing to hear somebody else’s perspective on the game.”

MAINE MEN

Another potential change: It sounds like there could be more traffic this year between Providence and its ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, who have a new coach in Rick Kowalsky.

“We’re going to use Maine as much as we can. They’re a big part of it. I don’t like young players sitting in the stands. I don’t think it does anything for anybody,” said Mougenel.

PREDICTION

With the current roster, there’s every reason to expect the P-Bruins to be in the hunt for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Get your popcorn ready.