Providence is dominating just about everyone…except the most dominant team in the AHL. Meanwhile, Maine climbed one spot in the standings after a weekend split against a divisional rival.
With just two months remaining in the minor league hockey season, both Boston Bruins affiliates have very different outlooks for the postseason.
AHL affiliate Providence is the second-best team in the entire AHL — however, the only team with a better record is division rival Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals). Providence and Hershey squared off last week in the Ocean State, and the teams were even for about 54 minutes until a late two-goal onslaught lifted the visitors, 3-1. Providence rebounded on Saturday with a 4-1 win at the Hartford Wolfpack (New York Rangers) in which it controlled the game throughout.
As for ECHL side Maine, the Mariners’ up-and-down campaign continued over the weekend with a series split at archrival Worcester Railers (New York Islanders). Maine won the opener in overtime, 5-4, but dropped the second game by a 3-2 margin. With the result, Maine jumped one spot in the standings to fifth, just five points behind Worcester for the final playoff spot in the North Division.
Providence Bruins
29-14-5, 63 points, 2nd in Atlantic Division
Last season, Providence was the top team in the AHL until the wheels fell off in the final two weeks of the regular season, leading to a first-round playoff exit. The eventual champion, Hershey, continues to embark on a magical two-year run of excellence.
Hershey, atop the AHL standings by 13 points over Providence, visited The AMP last Friday for a highly-anticipated matchup that finished 3-1 to the Bears. Providence and Hershey cancelled each other out for the opening two periods before trading goals over a four-minute stretch to start the third period. Tied through 54 minutes of regulation, Hershey proved why they’re the top dogs this season with a pair of late goals to close out the win. The Bears held a 27-13 edge in shots for the game, with Providence goaltender Brandon Bussi collecting 24 saves.
Providence rebounded the next night with a 4-1 victory over Hartford. Georgii Merkulov opened the scoring in the first period, and Jayson Megna scored and assisted on goals in the middle stanza to open up a 3-0 lead. Hartford struck back, but Providence kept the Wolfpack at bay and restored the three-goal cushion late in the third on a John Farinacci marker. In net, Michael DiPietro continued his recent fantastic run with a 34-save effort.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Brett Harrison — The forward scored the lone goal on Friday and tallied an assist on Saturday to earn this week’s honors. Stick taps go to Megna (1g, 1a on Saturday) and DiPietro.
ROSTER MOVES
- Called up to Boston — Anthony Richard.
UP NEXT: Providence hosts a pair of games at The AMP this weekend against opposition from Connecticut. On Friday, the Bridgeport Islanders come to town for a 7:05 p.m. puck drop, followed by a Sunday rematch with Hartford scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
Maine Mariners
19-20-5, 43 points, 5th in North Division
Despite a largely inconsistent and disappointing season to date, Maine certainly has a flare for the dramatic. A pair of one-goal games in a weekend split at Worcester helped Maine climb the standings in heart-stopping fashion.
Maine won the opening contest, 5-4 in overtime. Trailing 4-1 early in the third period, the Mariners battled back to tie the game with goals by William Provost and a pair from Wyllum Deveaux. Ryan Mast scored three minutes into overtime to complete the comeback. Mariners’ goaltender Kyle Keyser picked up the win with a 34-save performance.
In the series finale on Saturday, Maine again fell behind but couldn’t recover in a 3-2 defeat. Trailing 2-0, Provost got Maine within a goal. But the hosts held tough, notching an empty-netter with just over a minute remaining in regulation to restore the lead. Chase Zieky tallied with 37 seconds left in regulation to make things interesting, but the Mariners’ late push wasn’t enough.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wyllum Deveaux — Two goals, an assist, and six shots for the weekend gives Deveaux the honors. Stick taps go to Provost (2g) and Zieky (1g, 1a).
ROSTER MOVES
- Returned from Loan — Alex Kile (Lehigh Valley — AHL).
UP NEXT: The second-place Norfolk Admirals (Winnipeg Jets) come to Portland for a three-game weekend series. Friday’s opener starts at 7:15 p.m., followed by a 6:00 p.m. faceoff on Saturday and a 3:00 p.m. Sunday matinee.