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Providence Bruins

P-Bruins Week in Review

February 21, 2017 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Providence Bruins News Release


Providence, RI - The Providence Bruins are in the midst of a tight race in the Atlantic Division, and the team was able to take four of six points this weekend in their most crucial set of games all season. The P-Bruins welcomed the Hershey Bears to town for two games at the Dunk Friday and Saturday with the teams splitting the series a game apiece. Providence closed out the weekend, which saw them play three days in a row at home for just the second time all year, with an exciting 3-2 win against first place Wilkes-Barre Scranton.

The team now sits at 30-14-5-4 with 69 points, but because the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have won seven games in a row, Providence has fallen from third place to fourth for the first time since early January. They are still in position to make the postseason, as the top four teams from each division make the playoffs. Second place and fourth place are separated by just two points in the standings, but fifth place Hershey is just five points away from jumping over the Bruins into the playoffs.

Jordan Szwarz scored two goals this week to pace Providence and continues to lead the club in points with 39 on the season. Jake DeBrusk led in overall scoring for the week, registering a goal and two assists over three games. Goalie Zane McIntyre rebounded from his first AHL loss of any kind last week in a shootout to go 2-0 on the week, stopping 66 of 71 shots faced including a miraculous circus save Sunday afternoon to keep the first place Penguins from taking a late lead.

Peter Cehlarik still holds the team lead with 18 goals on the season, but his scoring touch is now in the NHL. After practicing with Providence during Boston's bye week, Cehlarik was recalled by the Bruins on February 18 and will rejoin the team for the foreseeable future. Providence will also be without veteran defenseman and former Boston Bruin Matt Bartkowski for the remainder of 2017 after he was released February 15. Bartkowski was let go so he could ink a deal with Calgary at the NHL level, signing a two-way contract with them for the rest of this year and next.

This week is another tough test for Providence, as on Friday they begin a home-and-home series with a Bridgeport team they've lost to 5 of 6 times this year. Upon returning from Bridgeport, Providence closes out the month of February Sunday at 3:05 pm against Springfield in what could be a historic day for captain Tommy Cross. If he plays all three games this weekend, he will be alone in second place on the all-time games played list in P-Bruins history.

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