Saturday, March 31, 2012

This Date In Providence Bruins: March 31

2001: Kent Hulst’s two goals spell the difference in a 4-2 win at Lowell.

2004: In a 4-0 home win over Lowell, Tim Thomas ties John Grahame for the team’s all-time shutout leader with seven career goose-eggs while Andre Savage pulls even with former Calder Cup teammate Brandon Smith atop the P-Bruins’ career assists leaderboard with 104.

2006: Pascal Pelletier scores both goals in a 4-2 losing effort versus Portland at The Dunk.

Friday, March 30, 2012

This Date In Providence Bruins History: March 30

2001: John Grahame stops 15 out of 17 first-period shots to keep his team afloat and the P-Bruins delete three one-goal deficits before Peter Ferraro finalizes a 4-3 home win over the Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins.

2003: A 3-1 lead devolves into a 4-3 overtime loss at Manitoba. Nonetheless, the single point is all the P-Bruins need to clinch first place in the Northern Division, giving them their third regular-season divisional championship in franchise history.

2005: Brad Boyes and Andy Hilbert each tune the net twice, sandwiching Jay Henderson’s goal to spell the difference in a 5-4 road win over the Worcester IceCats.

2007: Ben Walter scores each of the game’s first two goals then assists on another pair to beat the visiting Falcons, 5-2, and halt a three-game losing streak.

2008: Byron Bitz and Pascal Pelletier each record three points, collaborating on the same three scoring plays as part of a 5-3 home win over the Worcester Sharks.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

This Date In Providence Bruins History: March 29

1999: John Grahame extends his unbeaten streak to 25 games with a 5-1 home win over Springfield, the team’s 50th victory of the season.

2002: The P-Bruins splash a franchise-record goal-scoring drought with the help of Martin Wilde before Andy Hilbert snaps his personal seven-game skid. Hilbert’s goal stands as the eventual winner in a 3-1 triumph over the Springfield Falcons at The Dunk.

2006: Putting in his fourth appearance in the Providence cage, Derek Gustafson extends his own and his team’s unbeaten streak to four games (2-0-2) and stamps his first AHL shutout by stopping 33 shots en route to a 3-0 win in Albany. Nine different skaters have a hand in the Bruins’ three goals.

2008: At 6:25 of the second period, merely 44 seconds after the Portland Pirates draw a 1-1 knot, Chris Collins restores the P-Bruins lead. That begins a four-point night (two goals, two assists) for him and a six-goal romp for the team en route to a 7-1 win at The Dunk.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

This Date In Providence Bruins History: March 28

2001: Shawn Bates beats the host Springfield Falcons on an overtime goal, clinching a Calder Cup playoff spot for Providence.

2003: The P-Bruins break the 100-point plateau for the first time since their championship season with a 5-2 win at Manitoba.

2009: Tuukka Rask stops 36 out of 38 shots in regulation, including 28 out of 30 in the latter 40 minutes, to preserve a point, although the host Hartford Wolf Pack claim the extra point in a shootout, 3-2.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

This Date In Providence Bruins History: March 27

2009: Johnny Boychuk slugs home his second consecutive game-winner and adds an assist as part of a 3-1 home victory over Manchester.

2011: Kirk MacDonald’s shorthanded goal stands as the game-winner in a 4-2 victory over the Connecticut Whale.

Monday, March 26, 2012

This Date In Providence Bruins History: March 26

1995: For the third time in the season, Jeff Serowik scores twice in a win over Worcester. He along with Cam Stewart finish the outing with two goals and an assist apiece en route to a 5-2 win.

1999: The P-Bruins lose their last home meeting with the short-lived Beast of New Haven, 5-4.

2004: The P-Bruins garner their seventh point in four games, but after Andy Hilbert is denied on an overtime penalty shot, the host Lowell Lock Monsters regroup and take the extra point with a 2-1 decision.

2005: Ben Guite’s shootout goal gives the P-Bruins the extra point against Marc-Andre Fleury’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and puts Providence back into the playoff picture.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

This Date In Providence Bruins History: March 25

1994: The visiting Springfield Indians connect on their only third-period shot against P-Bruins goaltender John Blue to take a 3-2 decision at the Civic Center.

2000: Lowell Lock Monsters goalie Roberto Luongo turns over 48 out of 51 shots and pins a 5-3 loss on the P-Bruins at Tsongas Arena. Boston color analyst and part-time Providence blueliner Bob Beers records two assists in the losing effort.

2001: Kay Whitmore repels 15 out of 16 Springfield Falcons shots in the third period to preserve a 4-2 home victory.

2005: Hannu Toivonen wins his second game back from a month's absence as the P-Bruins beat the Worcester IceCats, 4-1, at The Dunk.

2006: Shawn McEachern records two points, including the clinching goal, while Derek Gustafson stops 31 out of 32 shots for his first AHL win in a 3-1 decision at Manchester's Verizon Wireless Arena.

2011: Kirk MacDonald and Trent Whifield each have a three-point game, collaborating on the same three scoring plays in a 4-2 win at Worcester's DCU Center.