Checking in on the Baby B's
If you are struggling with the lack of games this week for the Boston Bruins, you have plenty of company. Luckily, the wait is almost over, as the Bruins will be back on the ice for a pair of road games this weekend against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers. In the meantime, we'll head down to the farm to check in on the Providence Bruins.
After spending a good portion of the 2008-09 season at the top of the Atlantic Division, the P-Bruins are currently looking up at the Hartford Wolf Pack. Hartford has been one of the hottest teams in the second half of the season, allowing them to pull ahead of Providence for the time being. However, the margin is one point, meaning things could change this weekend, as the Baby B's will be in action on all three days. The biggest contest of the weekend will be on Saturday, when the Bruins look to make it two straight weeks with a win over their divisional rivals, as they travel to Hartford. Last Sunday, Providence took a 5-3 decision over the Wolf Pack at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Another note that could help the team from Rhode Island is that the P-Bruins have one game in hand over Hartford. If the B's are able to overtake Hartford, it would be the fifth division title in franchise history.
Although first place looks like it will be a battle until the end of the season, it's beginning to look like the Providence Bruins won't have much of an issue locking up the team's 11th consecutive playoff appearance. Providence currently leads Manchester by nine points, Portland and Worcester by 12, and Lowell by 15. The Monarchs and Sharks each have nine games remaining, while the Pirates and Devils both have ten left on the docket. That creates a magic number of seven, meaning the playoffs could be clinched as soon as Sunday, when the Baby B's take on Worcester at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The 11-year playoff run started with a bang back in 1998-99, when Providence won the Calder Cup in five games against the Rochester Americans.
With only nine games remaining on the schedule, the rest of the season shouldn't come as much of a surprise to those that follow the American Hockey League. The Peebs will face Manchester, Worcester, Hartford, and Portland twice, while battling with Lowell once. Five of the next six tilts will take place at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, where Providence has compiled a 24-10-1 record. The 49 points on home ice are three better than Hartford for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. After that, the Bruins finish the season with three games on the road. Although the road success isn't what it was last season (league record 28 wins), the P-Bruins have managed to put together a .500 record at 15-15-6. Considering the team's success at home, most would take that.
So, what's making these guys click yet again? For our positional look at things, we start between the pipes. In just his second year of hockey in North America, Tuukka Rask is flying up the franchise's record book. If Rask can pick up a victory this weekend, he will pass Andrew Raycroft and Hannu Toivonen for the second most regular season wins in team history with 58. John Grahame leads that category with 67. What makes that number even more impressive is that the 22-year old has been able to do it in less than 100 games. Rask enters the weekend with 97 AHL games under his belt. In 52 games this season, Tuukka has gone 30-19-3, with a 2.51 goals against average, a .915 save percentage, and four shutouts. Even though his goals against average is higher than last year, his save percentage has also gone up, meaning he is stopping more of what he faces.
Kevin Regan has been the backup for most of the season, going 9-6-2, with a 2.99 goals against average, and an .895 save percentage in 20 contests. Kevin Nastiuk has also seen four games of action, posting an 0-2 record, a 3.85 goals against average, and an .874 save percentage. Because of an injury to Regan, either Michael Hutchinson or Adam Courchaine might be tested in net after their junior seasons finish.
On the blueline, Providence has a candidate for the league's best, as Johnny Boychuk has absolutely launched himself onto the scene in Rhode Island. Prior to this season, Boychuk's best season in the AHL was in 2005-06, when he recorded 32 points with the Lowell Lock Monsters. This year, the 25-year old could double that, as he has 19 goals, 39 assists, 58 points, and a plus-15 rating in 58 games. Another strong offensive defenseman has been Jeff Penner. With Matt Lashoff getting dealt to Tampa Bay, Penner has had a chance to play alongside Boychuk, and it has paid off. In 71 games, the rookie has ten goals and 17 assists, while leading the team in plus/minus at plus-20. The two are extremely lethal on the power play, where they have combined for 15 tallies.
In his second year with the P-Bruins, Adam McQuaid is becoming a strong overall player. His four goals and eleven assists show that his offense is coming along, while his 133 penalty minutes prove that playing against him isn't a lot of fun. Unfortunately, an injury has hit Andrew Bodnarchuk recently, but he should be returning to the lineup shortly. In 59 games, Bodnarchuk has one goal and eight assists, as he is completing his first season at the AHL level. Despite joining the team late, Kevin Schaeffer also deserves a tip of the cap. Schaeffer has three assists in 48 games, but is better known for his ability to complete the defense with solid coverage in his own zone.
Offensively, a lot of fans were disappointed to see Pascal Pelletier go in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. However, most would now say they are very pleased to have Martin St. Pierre on the squad. St. Pierre has been limited to 53 games with Providence, as he has spent some time with the big club on Causeway Street. Despite the shortened time, the 25-year old leads the team with 47 assists and 61 points. Vladimir Sobotka has also spent time with Boston, meaning his totals aren't where one would expect for a full season. However, Sobotka is averaging nearly a point per game, as he has 15 goals and 21 assists in 37 contests.
Shifting over to the rookies, two players that have to be talked about are Brad Marchand and Mikko Lehtonen. Marchand is a player that the home fans tend to enjoy pretty quickly, as he has the ability to put points on the board, while being an absolute pest to the opposition. That has translated into a very successful rookie campaign for Marchand, who is currently tied for second in scoring among first year players. In 70 games, the 20-year old has 16 goals, 36 assists, and 52 points. At 5-foot-9, Marchand might not be the biggest player on the ice, but his passion and desire will get him to the next level. Meanwhile, Lehtonen is on the other end of the spectrum at 6-foot-3. After seeing him record 20 points in 42 games last season in Finland, very few knew what to expect from the 21-year old's first season in North America. Suffice it to say, fans in the Ocean State are rather pleased. Lehtonen has taken off, leading the P-Bruins with 25 goals, while dishing out 21 assists for a total of 46 points. If Matt Marquardt can net two more goals, Providence will have five rookies in double digits, as Jordan Knackstedt and Zach Hamill have each reached the ten-goal plateau.
Keeping those rookies in line are Jeremy Reich and Wacey Rabbit. After spending all of last season in Boston, Reich has come down to lead the Baby B's as their captain. Although he was known primarily for his physical play in the NHL, the 30-year old isn't a stranger around the net. Reich is closing in on the 20-goal mark, as he has 18, as well as 13 assists in 69 games. Rabbit is playing in his third season with the P-Bruins, and offensively, this has been his best. In 67 games, the former Vancouver Giant has 14 goals, 17 assists, and 31 points.
With the Lewiston Maineiacs falling in the first round of the QMJHL Playoffs, defenseman Denis Reul is on his way to Providence for the remainder of the season. He may be joined by a few other players along the way, as the Baby B's look to do some damage in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The P-Bruins begin a three-game weekend on Friday, when they host the Manchester Monarchs at 7:00. The Boston Bruins' next game is Saturday night in Toronto.
After spending a good portion of the 2008-09 season at the top of the Atlantic Division, the P-Bruins are currently looking up at the Hartford Wolf Pack. Hartford has been one of the hottest teams in the second half of the season, allowing them to pull ahead of Providence for the time being. However, the margin is one point, meaning things could change this weekend, as the Baby B's will be in action on all three days. The biggest contest of the weekend will be on Saturday, when the Bruins look to make it two straight weeks with a win over their divisional rivals, as they travel to Hartford. Last Sunday, Providence took a 5-3 decision over the Wolf Pack at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Another note that could help the team from Rhode Island is that the P-Bruins have one game in hand over Hartford. If the B's are able to overtake Hartford, it would be the fifth division title in franchise history.
Although first place looks like it will be a battle until the end of the season, it's beginning to look like the Providence Bruins won't have much of an issue locking up the team's 11th consecutive playoff appearance. Providence currently leads Manchester by nine points, Portland and Worcester by 12, and Lowell by 15. The Monarchs and Sharks each have nine games remaining, while the Pirates and Devils both have ten left on the docket. That creates a magic number of seven, meaning the playoffs could be clinched as soon as Sunday, when the Baby B's take on Worcester at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The 11-year playoff run started with a bang back in 1998-99, when Providence won the Calder Cup in five games against the Rochester Americans.
With only nine games remaining on the schedule, the rest of the season shouldn't come as much of a surprise to those that follow the American Hockey League. The Peebs will face Manchester, Worcester, Hartford, and Portland twice, while battling with Lowell once. Five of the next six tilts will take place at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, where Providence has compiled a 24-10-1 record. The 49 points on home ice are three better than Hartford for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. After that, the Bruins finish the season with three games on the road. Although the road success isn't what it was last season (league record 28 wins), the P-Bruins have managed to put together a .500 record at 15-15-6. Considering the team's success at home, most would take that.
So, what's making these guys click yet again? For our positional look at things, we start between the pipes. In just his second year of hockey in North America, Tuukka Rask is flying up the franchise's record book. If Rask can pick up a victory this weekend, he will pass Andrew Raycroft and Hannu Toivonen for the second most regular season wins in team history with 58. John Grahame leads that category with 67. What makes that number even more impressive is that the 22-year old has been able to do it in less than 100 games. Rask enters the weekend with 97 AHL games under his belt. In 52 games this season, Tuukka has gone 30-19-3, with a 2.51 goals against average, a .915 save percentage, and four shutouts. Even though his goals against average is higher than last year, his save percentage has also gone up, meaning he is stopping more of what he faces.
Kevin Regan has been the backup for most of the season, going 9-6-2, with a 2.99 goals against average, and an .895 save percentage in 20 contests. Kevin Nastiuk has also seen four games of action, posting an 0-2 record, a 3.85 goals against average, and an .874 save percentage. Because of an injury to Regan, either Michael Hutchinson or Adam Courchaine might be tested in net after their junior seasons finish.
On the blueline, Providence has a candidate for the league's best, as Johnny Boychuk has absolutely launched himself onto the scene in Rhode Island. Prior to this season, Boychuk's best season in the AHL was in 2005-06, when he recorded 32 points with the Lowell Lock Monsters. This year, the 25-year old could double that, as he has 19 goals, 39 assists, 58 points, and a plus-15 rating in 58 games. Another strong offensive defenseman has been Jeff Penner. With Matt Lashoff getting dealt to Tampa Bay, Penner has had a chance to play alongside Boychuk, and it has paid off. In 71 games, the rookie has ten goals and 17 assists, while leading the team in plus/minus at plus-20. The two are extremely lethal on the power play, where they have combined for 15 tallies.
In his second year with the P-Bruins, Adam McQuaid is becoming a strong overall player. His four goals and eleven assists show that his offense is coming along, while his 133 penalty minutes prove that playing against him isn't a lot of fun. Unfortunately, an injury has hit Andrew Bodnarchuk recently, but he should be returning to the lineup shortly. In 59 games, Bodnarchuk has one goal and eight assists, as he is completing his first season at the AHL level. Despite joining the team late, Kevin Schaeffer also deserves a tip of the cap. Schaeffer has three assists in 48 games, but is better known for his ability to complete the defense with solid coverage in his own zone.
Offensively, a lot of fans were disappointed to see Pascal Pelletier go in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. However, most would now say they are very pleased to have Martin St. Pierre on the squad. St. Pierre has been limited to 53 games with Providence, as he has spent some time with the big club on Causeway Street. Despite the shortened time, the 25-year old leads the team with 47 assists and 61 points. Vladimir Sobotka has also spent time with Boston, meaning his totals aren't where one would expect for a full season. However, Sobotka is averaging nearly a point per game, as he has 15 goals and 21 assists in 37 contests.
Shifting over to the rookies, two players that have to be talked about are Brad Marchand and Mikko Lehtonen. Marchand is a player that the home fans tend to enjoy pretty quickly, as he has the ability to put points on the board, while being an absolute pest to the opposition. That has translated into a very successful rookie campaign for Marchand, who is currently tied for second in scoring among first year players. In 70 games, the 20-year old has 16 goals, 36 assists, and 52 points. At 5-foot-9, Marchand might not be the biggest player on the ice, but his passion and desire will get him to the next level. Meanwhile, Lehtonen is on the other end of the spectrum at 6-foot-3. After seeing him record 20 points in 42 games last season in Finland, very few knew what to expect from the 21-year old's first season in North America. Suffice it to say, fans in the Ocean State are rather pleased. Lehtonen has taken off, leading the P-Bruins with 25 goals, while dishing out 21 assists for a total of 46 points. If Matt Marquardt can net two more goals, Providence will have five rookies in double digits, as Jordan Knackstedt and Zach Hamill have each reached the ten-goal plateau.
Keeping those rookies in line are Jeremy Reich and Wacey Rabbit. After spending all of last season in Boston, Reich has come down to lead the Baby B's as their captain. Although he was known primarily for his physical play in the NHL, the 30-year old isn't a stranger around the net. Reich is closing in on the 20-goal mark, as he has 18, as well as 13 assists in 69 games. Rabbit is playing in his third season with the P-Bruins, and offensively, this has been his best. In 67 games, the former Vancouver Giant has 14 goals, 17 assists, and 31 points.
With the Lewiston Maineiacs falling in the first round of the QMJHL Playoffs, defenseman Denis Reul is on his way to Providence for the remainder of the season. He may be joined by a few other players along the way, as the Baby B's look to do some damage in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The P-Bruins begin a three-game weekend on Friday, when they host the Manchester Monarchs at 7:00. The Boston Bruins' next game is Saturday night in Toronto.
