PROVIDENCE, RI – Mathematically, the Providence Bruins still have an opportunity to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs — something the franchise has done every season of its existence, except 1993-94 and 1997-98. Those campaigns included a Calder Cup championship in 1999. 
Last season the Bruins were knocked out of the Eastern Conference finals by the eventual Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears. However, the team will be hard-pressed to match its success this season. The lineup has been plagued by injuries and call-ups to the parent club in Boston. The shuffling of those players along with those promoted from the ECHL and signed as free agents changed the team’s chemistry on a weekly — and even daily –basis. As a result, cohesion has been a problem all season long.
With just eight games left, the Bruins trail the eighth place team in the conference by eight points. The task ahead of them is quite difficult, especially considering that all their remaining games are against Atlantic Division opponents and the Bruins have the fewest number of games to be played. If the season ended today, five of the eight teams qualified for the Eastern Conference playoffs would come from the Atlantic Division. And Providence has only managed two wins in its last 10 games, though many were close contests.
The reality is that Providence mirrors its parent club in Boston when it comes to scoring goals. Providence has only one 20 goal scorer, Mikko Lehtonen, who has 23 goals and 26 assists. These totals don’t even get him in the top 40 scorers in the AHL. Captain Trent Whitfield has 17 goals, which are second on the club. Simply put, the team does not possess the scoring punch of other squads in the league. 
The goaltending through the halfway point of the season was very good, but has slipped in the last quarter. Dany Sabourin has played the fourth most minutes in the league and is third in the league in saves. Of late, Kevin Regan has seen his minutes increase. Sabourin’s goals against average of 2.67 is also not in the top 20 in the league.
On defense, Andy Wozniewski is tied for ninth among blueliners in points with 41 and is fourth among defensemen in power-play points with 24. The loss of Providence veteran Adam McQuaid to both call ups and injury has affected the overall defense and the team’s toughness. In regards to toughness, rookie Lane MacDermid, leads all rookies in penalty minutes with 155 and is first in major penalties with 21.
In recent weeks, several young players have picked up their games, including Levi Nelson, John Lammers, Jordan Knackstedt, and Andrew Bodnarchuk. By all accounts the Bruins season is on the brink, yet the pride in the organization and the upcoming divisional rivalries could propel them to the playoffs.
Contact thomas.chace@prohockeynews.com
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