
From left, Ty Gallagher, Jake Schmaltz, Joey Abate, Colin Felix and Riley Duran celebrate Duran’s goal on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)
The Providence Bruins spent a very productive few days in Ontario.
First stop was Toronto, where the P-Bruins dominated the Marlies, 5-1, on Wednesday night. Then they moved on to Belleville, and beat the Senators twice, 6-3 and 6-4, on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
As of Monday, Providence held down first place in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference with an are-you-kidding-me record of 16-3 and 32 points.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— Fabian Lysell had his best week of the season. He scored twice on Wednesday, was credited with two assists on Saturday and finished the weekend with a goal and an assist on Sunday. His second goal in Toronto was the goal of the year for the P-Bruins as he dangled his way to the net before beating the goalie. Turnovers and poor decisions with the puck are still sprinkled throughout Lysell’s game, but they are somewhat easier to overlook when he’s producing offensively the way he has lately. Lysell has 9-9-18 in 16 games. He’s tied with Patrick Brown for the team lead in goals.
— Patrick Brown continued his strong play with a goal and two helpers on Wednesday and a goal on Friday, which was the 100th of his career in the AHL. He leads the team in scoring with 9-12-21 in 19 games.
— Jake Schmaltz scored an empty netter on Saturday, then was a standout on Sunday with 1-3-4. The line of Schmaltz between Riley Duran and Joey Abate was outstanding on Sunday, generating energy and a strong forecheck as well as contributing on the scoresheet.
— Riley Duran and Victor Soderstrom scored their first goals of the season on Sunday in Belleville.
— Matt Poitras finally got some puck luck. He cashed in a rebound for a goal and added two helpers on Saturday and scored an empty-netter on Sunday.
— Jacob Perreault scored twice and added an assist on Saturday.
— Dans Locmelis had a goal and an assist on both Wednesday and Friday. His wrister for Providence’s fifth goal on Friday blew up the water bottle on the Belleville net.
— Georgii Merkulov had his best game of the season in Toronto with a nifty finish for a goal and two pretty assists.
— Frederic Brunet made a nifty backhand pass through seam that resulted in a goal on Saturday and then buried his third goal of the year on Sunday.
— New addition Christian Wolanin chipped in with four assists in Toronto and added two more in the next game in Belleville.
— The power play went five for nine in the three games. It is now ranked fifth in the AHL at 26.3 percent.
— Providence is undefeated on the road at 8-0.
BAD
— The penalty kill allowed three goals on five shorthanded situations in Belleville.
— All’s well that ends well, but Providence allowed Belleville to climb back into both games by giving up goals in the third period.
UGLY
— Injured: Max Wanner