Merkulov, P-Bruins Edge Thunderbirds in Shootout
January 25, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Providence Bruins News Release
Springfield, MA - Forward Georgii Merkulov posted a goal, two assists, and scored the shootout winning goal, helping the Providence Bruins edge the Springfield Thunderbirds 4-3 in a shootout for the team's fifth straight victory on Saturday night at the MassMutual Center. Fabian Lysell recorded two assists in the victory, while defensemen Frederic Brunet and Ian Mitchell also found the back of the net.
How It Happened
Matthew Peca walked the puck down the slot, where he fired a shot past the blocker of the goaltender, giving the Thunderbirds a 1-0 lead with 16:12 remaining in the first period. On a 2-on-1, Lysell zipped a pass to Merkulov between the circles, where he flicked a shot under the arm of the goaltender and across the goal line, tying the game at 1-1 with 5:25 to play in the first frame. Brunet's wrist shot from the left point bounced through traffic and into the back of the net, giving the P-Bruins a 2-1 lead just 1:59 into the second period. Lysell and Merkulov received the assists. Merkulov fed a pass to Mitchell at the point, where he hammered a one-timer inside the left post for a power play goal, extending the Providence lead to 3-1 with 8:56 left in the second period. Patrick Brown was credited with a secondary assist. Mackenzie MacEachern collected a bounce off the glass near the right post and flicked it across the goal line, cutting the P-Bruins' lead to 3-2 with 4:28 remaining in the second period. Just 18 seconds later, Matt Luff converted on a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle to tie the game at 3-3. Merkulov scored in the first round of the shootout. Goaltender Brandon Bussi made all three saves in the shootout.
Stats
Merkulov has points in seven straight games with eleven total in that span. Lysell posted multi-point games on back-to-back nights with his 7th of the season. Bussi stopped 33 of 36 shots. The P-Bruins totaled 35 shots. The power play went 1-for-5 and the penalty kill was 2-for-2. The Providence Bruins improve to 23-13-3-1.
Up Next
The Providence Bruins host the Laval Rocket on Sunday, January 26 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Puck drop is set for 3:05 p.m.
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