Providence Bruins Edge Islanders in Shootout Thriller, 4-3
In a game that had a little bit of everything-momentum swings, gritty goals, and a tense shootout finish-the Providence Bruins walked out of Total Mortgage Arena with two hard-earned points on Saturday night, skating past the Bridgeport Islanders 4-3 in a shootout.
This one wasn’t for the faint of heart. Providence clawed back from a two-goal deficit, got a big night from defenseman Christian Wolanin, and leaned on goaltender Luke Cavallin in the final moments and beyond. And when it came time for someone to step up in the shootout, it was John Farinacci who delivered the dagger.
How It Unfolded
Bridgeport struck first in the dying seconds of the opening period. Liam Foudy found himself in the right place at the right time, poking a loose puck through the crease and across the line with just 28 seconds left on the clock. It was a momentum-swinging goal, and the Islanders weren’t done.
Midway through the second, Adam Beckman doubled the lead with a smooth finish on a breakaway, slipping a wrist shot under the glove to make it 2-0. At that point, Providence needed a spark-and they got it.
Patrick Brown got the Bruins on the board with a hard-nosed goal, jamming home a rebound from the left post with just over five minutes left in the second. Frederic Brunet and Wolanin picked up the helpers, and suddenly the energy shifted.
That shift turned into a full-on surge just a few minutes later. Joey Abate wrapped the puck around the net and threaded a sharp cross-crease pass to Dalton Bancroft, who was waiting at the far post.
Bancroft tapped it home for his first goal of the season, tying things up 2-2 with 2:26 remaining in the second period. Jake Schmaltz added a secondary assist on the play.
Early in the third, Providence kept pushing. Riley Tufte, who’s been the P-Bruins’ most consistent finisher all season, found a loose puck in the low slot and wasted no time burying it inside the right post to give Providence its first lead of the night. Matej Blumel and Wolanin-who notched his second assist of the evening-were credited with the setup.
But the Islanders had a quick answer. Just 26 seconds later, Foudy struck again, shielding the puck from a defender and tucking it past the right pad to knot the game at 3-3. That’s where things stayed through the rest of regulation and a scoreless overtime.
Shootout Heroics
When it came down to the shootout, both goaltenders stood tall-until the third round. That’s when John Farinacci stepped up and delivered the only goal of the shootout, calmly beating the netminder to seal the win. Cavallin did the rest, stopping all three Bridgeport attempts and locking down the extra point for Providence.
By the Numbers
- Tufte’s third-period tally marked his team-leading 16th goal of the season. He’s been a reliable scoring presence all year, and Saturday was no exception.
- Bancroft’s goal was his first of the season, and it came at a critical time to tie the game late in the second.
- Cavallin turned away 26 of 29 shots in regulation and overtime, then went a perfect 3-for-3 in the shootout.
- Providence outshot Bridgeport 35-29 on the night.
- Special teams were quiet but clean: the Bruins went 0-for-1 on the power play and were a perfect 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
- With the win, Providence improves to 29-8-1-0 on the season-an impressive mark that keeps them near the top of the AHL standings.
What’s Next
The Bruins are back in action on Sunday afternoon, hosting the Toronto Marlies at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Puck drops at 1:05 p.m. and it’s another chance for Providence to keep their momentum rolling as they continue to assert themselves as one of the league’s top contenders.
Fans can catch every second of Bruins hockey through the AHL’s streaming platform, AHLTV on FloHockey.