Providence Packed Weekend
Feb 24, 2012; Buffalo, NY, USA; Boston Bruins center Carter Camper (58) against the Buffalo Sabres at the First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-US PRESSWIRE
Friday night the Providence Bruins took on the Worcester Sharks and fell 3-2. The Bruins returned to the Dunk with a packed house and from the moment the puck dropped it was evident they wanted to be back in the win column. While their intention was to get on the board first, it would be Worcester’s Tim Kennedy that would deflect a blast into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season. The Bruins tried to regain their momentum and it came as they found themselves on a 5-on-3 advantage. With 6:15 remaining in the first period Jamie Tardif made a beautiful cross-ice pass to Carter Camper who sent the crowd into a frenzy with his first goal of the season. With just two minutes remaining in the period Justin Florek was sent to the box for Providence on a tripping minor and the Sharks were able to strike once more, sending them into the first intermission with a 2-1 advantage.
Once again the Bruins came out strong in the second period, but Sharks goaltender Alex Stalock denied nine goal-scoring opportunities. Naturally with each goal scored the tension began to rise and the penalties began to add up. The second period proved to be physically demanding and exhausting for fans and players alike. The Bruins wouldn’t catch a break until the third period when Maxime Sauve cut the Sharks lead to one with five minutes remaining in the period. While it sparked a burst of energy, Stalock held his ground and allowed the Sharks to leave the Dunk with a 3-2 advantage.
Today the Bruins are taking on the St. John’s Ice Caps at 3:05PM ET. They are once again looking to get back into the win column as are the St.John’s Ice Caps who lost to the Portland Pirates Friday night, but beat the Sharks 3-2 in overtime last night. These two teams met up for a total of four games last season with the Bruins only managing one overtime victory. The Bruins might have had 69 fights in total last season, but not a single one came from any of the four times these two teams met. Today’s game is guaranteed to be a battle of skill sets and who can get on the board first rather than physicality. With any luck the Bruins will be able to stay out of the penalty box and focus more on the scoring aspect that they are more than capable of performing.
Who’s Hot…
For the Bruins the man of the afternoon is once again going to be Maxime Sauve being the team’s leading high scorer with four goals and two assists. For the Ice Caps it’s Zach Redmond. While he may not have been able to convert against Portland, don’t let that fool you. He is tied for the team’s leading scorer with Spencer Machacek, each with 3 goals and 2 assists a piece.
You can catch today’s game on AHL Live or listen to it here.