Category — providence bruins

Marchand

Brad Marchand’s power-play goal with 36 seconds remaining in regulation was too little too late for the Providence Bruins (AHL), who dropped Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, 2-1, tonight to the host Hershey Bears.

The series is now tied 1-1 heading to Providence for Game 3, 4 and 5 at Dunkin Donuts Center next weekend. [Read more →]

Rask

The Providence Bruins (AHL) withstood a furious rally by Hershey and hung on for a 3-2 win over the host Bears in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals last night.

Providence will continue its pursuit of the conference title tonight in Gam2 of the series, also in Hershey.

Goaltender Tuukka Rask made 11 of his 30 saves while defending a one-goal lead in the third period. Rask was also helped by a Bears shot off the crossbar. The P-Bruins were outshot, 11-5, in the third period, but had already built their lead on the strength of two power-play goals. [Read more →]

The Providence Bruins (AHL) are at the point in the Calder Cup playoffs that the Boston Bruins wish they were at in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But while the P-Bruins were able to dispose of the lower-seeded Worcester Sharks in the Atlantic Division finals, Boston couldn’t do the same against lower-seeded Carolina in the conference semifinals.

So it’s  up to Providence to carry the black-and-gold banner to playoff success starting tonight in the Eastern Conference finals — just one round shy of playing for the Calder Cup. However, the P-Bruins will face their most formidable foe yet, the Hersey Bears. Hershey is going after its third Richard F. Canning Trophy in four years and its second Calder Cup over that same span of time. [Read more →]

Rask

Five different players scored goals and goaltender Tuukka Rask made 34 saves to lift the Providence Bruins to a 5-1 win over host Worcester in Game 6 of the Atlantic Division finals tonight.

Providence won the series, 4-2, to advance to the Eastern Conference finals against Hershey. That series will start Saturday at Hershey. The series won’t shift back to Providence until Game 3, May 22.

Brad Marchand, Jamie Arniel, Kirk MacDonald, Jordan Knackstedt and Martin St. Pierre scored the goals. Vladimir Sobotka added two assists.

Game 5 was as kind to the Providence Bruins (AHL) in the Calder Cup playoffs as it was to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Now the P-Bruins are one win away from a berth in the Eastern Conference finals. Providence rode three straight goals by three different players in the second period last night to the lead and then a hung on for a 4-3 win over Worcester in the Atlantic Division finals at Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

Providence now leads the series 3-2 heading to Worcester for Game 6 Wednesday. Martin St. Pierre (3:07), Brad Marchand (10:55) and Jeremy Reich (14:08) scored the three goals that put the P-Bruins up, 3-1. After the Sharks pulled within one, Levi Nelson scored what proved to be the game-winner 10:42 into the third period.

Hockey teams nicknamed Bruins are suddenly in a playoff tailspin.

With their parent club in Boston facing elimination tonight in the second round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Providence Bruins (AHL) are suddenly in a dogfight with Worcester in the Atlantic Division final series of the Calder Cup playoffs.

Providence, which had led the series, 2-0, has now let the Sharks even the series after a 1-0 Worcester win last night at DCU Center. Tom Cavanagh scored the game’s lone goal 4:41 into the opening period and Thomas Greiss made 26 saves for the shutout. You can read the complete recap at the Worcester Telegram.

Game 5 is scheduled for Monday night at Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

It was a rough night all around for the Boston Bruins’ organization last night, as the farm club at Providence (AHL) lost as well.

The P-Bruins still lead their Atlantic Division final series with Worcester, two games to one, but tonight have to play Game 4 at the DCU Center after dropping a 5-3 decision at Dunkin’ Donuts Center last night.

Here’s a link to the Worcester Telegram’s coverage of the game. Providence fell behind 2-0 in the first period and never could pull even. Brad Marchand, Jeff Penner and Mikko Lehtonen.

It’d be easy to forget because they haven’t played in eight days, but the Providence Bruins are still in the postseason and will be in action tonight for Game 2 of their Atlantic Division finals series with Worcester.

To refresh your memory, the P-Bruins won Game 1 of the series last Tuesday on an overtime goal by Jeremy Reich. They were without Vladimir Sobotka but still defended their home-ice advantage and tonight go on the road because of the Calder Cup playoffs scheduling quirk that has the games at alternating sites throughout the series.

I was remiss in not mentioning yesterday that the P-Bruins added an extra body yesterday, as forward Jamie Arniel — a fourth-round pick of Boston last June — to an Amateur Tryout Agreement. Arniel just finished his fourth season of junior hockey in the OHL. With the Sarnia Sting this season, Arniel posted career-best 32-36-68 totals in 63 games.

Reich

I interrupt this wait to see who the Boston Bruins’ next opponent will be to inform you that the Providence Bruins, who are already in their second round, grabbed a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven Atlantic Division finals series with Worcester by prevailing 3-2 in overtime tonight at Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

Jeremy Reich scored the game-winning goal at the 6:19 mark of the extra session. Martin St. Pierre and Brad Marchand also scored for Providence, which squandered a 2-0 lead before taking down the Sharks. Tuukka Rask made 35 saves for the P-Bruins.

Game 2 of this series is not until next Wednesday, May 6, at DCU Center in Worcester.

The Worcester Sharks’ 5-3 win over the top-seeded Hartford Wolf Pack in Game 6 of their Atlantic Division semifinal series tonight earned the Sharks a series win and a division final date with the Providence Bruins.

And how’s this for a schedule? Game 1 of the best-of-seven series is slated for Tuesday night at Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Game 2, however, won’t be played until Wednesday, May 6 in Worcester. The site of each game will rotate all the way through, with Game 7, if necessary, scheduled for May 14 at Providence.

The P-Bruins were the No. 2 seed in the division and eliminated third-seeded Portland in five games. The Sharks were the fourth seed to start the postseason.

Schaefer

The Providence Bruins followed the lead of their parent club Boston Bruins by finishing off their first-round opponent in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs tonight at Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence.

Providence took down Portland, 2-1, in Game 5 of its Atlantic Division semifinal series with the Pirates.

Veteran winger Peter Schaefer, a playoff hero for Boston last spring, scored the game-winning goal with 45 seconds remaining in the second period. The P-Bruins, who trailed 1-0 earlier in the middle stanza, had tied the score on a Jordan Knackstedt goal.

Tuukka Rask stopped 29 of 30 shots on net. Providence will face either Hartford or Worcester in the Atlantic Division final starting at a time to be determined.

Rask

A 31-save performance by Tuukka Rask in net and a key goal by forward Kirk MacDonald lifted the Providence Bruins to a 2-1 road win over the Portland Pirates in Game 4 of the clubs’ Atlantic Division semifinal playoff series tonight.

Second-seeded Providence now leads the series, 3-1. You can read Dan Hickling’s complete recap.

Providence and Portland will meet in Game 5 Friday night at Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

Boychuk

Defenseman Johnny Boychuk scored on two of his 10 goals on net and the Providence Bruins won Game 3 of their Atlantic Division semifinal series with Portland, 5-1, today on the road at the Civic Center.

Providence, which lost Game 2, now leads the series 2-1.

For the complete recap you can check out Dan Hickling’s story at majorblogs.net.

Reich

Jeremy Reich’s tie-breaking goal at the 10:33 mark of the third period was the difference in the Providence Bruins’ 2-1 win over Portland in Game 2 of an Atlantic Division semifinal playoff series tonight at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence. The win evened the best-of-seven series at one game apiece.

For a complete recap, you can check out Dan Hickling’s story over at majorblogs.net.

The series continues with Game 3 in Portland Sunday afternoon.

What an eye gouge really looks like.

WILMINGTON, Mass — If they had done a video review of the post-game scuffle between Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Hunwick and Montreal backliner Mike Komisarek last night — the one that resulted in Hunwick requiring a few sutures to close a gash about his right eye — they would’ve had to deem the replay inconclusive.

You can see it for yourself on YouTube, but whether Komisarek eye gouged Hunwick, whether he did it with his glove on or off, there are only two people who know for sure. The one on the receiving end, however, still couldn’t draw a definite conclusion.

“I couldn’t tell to be honest with you,” said Hunwick after today’s Bruins practice at Ristuccia Arena. “It’s one of those things where you’re in a battle and you don’t know exactly what’s going on. I know he was face-washing me, I was face-washing him, so it’s one of those things where in the heat of the moment you can’t really tell and I’m not here to make any accusations, that’s for sure.”

When pressed on why he couldn’t tell if a finger had gouged his eye — after all, he’d be the more likely to know based on actual feel — Hunwick responded: “I don’t know if you’ve ever had your face washed and been in that situation where I’m worried about kind of giving it back to him just as I’m getting it, and not really thinking that much about the result of what’s going on. It was one of those things where I really didn’t even notice until after the incident happened.”

After the Canadiens practice at TD Banknorth Garden, Komisarek responded to the eye-gouging accusation.

“That’s a bit of a ridiculous statement. Its the playoffs. There are facewashes every second shift,” said Komisarek, who admitted his left glove was off but that he only face-washed with the gloved right hand. “I don’t know if the kid has soft skin. I’m not Larry, Moe and Curly. I’m not trying to poke anyone’s eye out.” [Read more →]