The Providence Bruins needed a jolt, and Mikey Eyssimont delivered one in dramatic fashion Friday night.
Down 3-0 after two periods against the Hamilton Hammers, Providence stormed back with five goals in the third to steal a 5-4 win and level its record at 6-6. Riley Duran got the comeback moving, Alex Steeves trimmed the deficit to 3-2, and then Eyssimont took over.
Hamilton pushed the lead back to 4-2, but Eyssimont answered with a goal to make it 4-3, then tied the game with 1:08 left. He wasn’t finished there. With 25 seconds remaining, he scored again for the game-winner and capped off one of the wildest finishes Providence has had all season.
The night carried even more weight because it was Eyssimont’s first game back after missing the previous one with a puck to the mouth. It also came on the heels of a big individual honor, as he was named the AHL Player of the Month for October.
For Eyssimont, the production is doing more than just helping Providence win games. It’s keeping his name in the conversation as a possible trade piece, and maybe a player who could get a fresh start somewhere else.
He broke camp with Boston, but the path back has been murky ever since Matthew Poitras got healthy enough to return. Once Poitras was available, Eyssimont was placed on waivers, cleared, and sent to Providence.
He has handled the demotion professionally, but there does not appear to be much of a route back to Boston unless a long-term injury opens a spot. Poitras has since claimed the fourth-line center role for head coach Marco Sturm, though he missed Thursday night’s 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins after taking an elbow to the nose against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.
Eyssimont and Steeves have both been in the AHL this season trying to force their way back into the NHL picture, whether that ends up being in Boston or somewhere else. With general manager Don Sweeney facing trade decisions over the next three months before the deadline, Eyssimont is making a strong case for a depth-needy team to take a look.
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Bruins Suddenly Face A James Hagens Problem They Cant Ignore
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Mikey Eyssimont was recalled from Providence to fill the opening, giving Boston another option as it tries to keep its forward group steady. For now, the bigger concern is Hagens and what the Bruins can expect next, especially with the injury coming on a cross-check and the team still waiting to learn more about his status. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Get A Timely Boost As Goaltending Picture Tightens
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Providence added to that sense of momentum with a comeback win of its own, a result that only deepens the clubs confidence in its depth chart. The Bruins are still sorting through the bigger picture, but the goaltending situation has tightened in a way that gives them more options, and for now that is the kind of development a team can use before a matchup with a division rival. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Skid Is Fueling A Bigger Debate About Jeff Blashill
Chicagos overtime win over the Blackhawks was part of a rough stretch that has pushed Chicago into a broader conversation about where this season is headed. The Blackhawks have dropped several recent games, including losses to the Avalanche, Panthers and Lightning, and their road start has been especially troubling at 0-7-1, a mark that has only sharpened the scrutiny around the teams direction.
Jeff Blashill is now at the center of that debate, with criticism building around the defensive structure and overall approach the Blackhawks are using. The concern is not just about one bad trip or one close loss, but whether the current coaching strategy is giving this roster the right framework to compete, and whether changes will have to come from behind the bench before the skid turns into something larger. [Read more 🡒]