The Providence Bruins entered this season on a mission, and it’s reflected in the culture they’ve built. From the rising prospects to the veterans, everyone wants to make it to the NHL but in the process, win and play dominant hockey. It allowed them to boast a 22-6-1 record, which is the second-best in the Atlantic Division and the third-best in the American Hockey League (AHL).
It’s fascinating to see how the Bruins have become this team. The Boston Bruins aren’t known for their prospect pool, and the AHL team has been good but not great in recent years. It’s all coming together this season, and they’ve made a lot of good teams in the league look silly in the process.
The Bruins Do The Small Things Well
It’s easy to spot a well-coached team in the AHL and contrast it to one that is poorly coached. The well-coached teams check off a few boxes, notably that they forecheck with purpose, play with structure, and take advantage of the opposition’s mistakes. Those three qualities were on display as the Bruins defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 4-1, with two of their goals coming off of offensive zone turnovers.
Diving into the details of how the Bruins play, it’s noticeable how they beat teams. They play North-South and play fast but often move the puck with the forwards as their defensemen trail the play and become the safety nets. It’s why the Bruins don’t give up many chances the other way and often know where to play the puck. “They think about doing the right thing all the time,” head coach Ryan Mougenel noted after the latest game.
It’s a great team overall, and more importantly, they’ve bought into the system. In the AHL, there are teams with complex schemes, or the coaching staff tries to outthink the opposition. Likewise, there are basic strategies that are easy to learn but don’t go very far. The Bruins have a unique system but the most important thing is that the players are bought in, which reflects well on the leadership in the room.
The Veteran Presence
The AHL is a developmental league, and the focus is on the prospects. Often, that results in teams giving up on players before they hit their primes. Why invest in a 24 or 25-year-old player when a 19-year-old is on the way and has a higher upside?
The Bruins zigged while everyone zagged. Their best players on the AHL team are veterans but have only started to enter their hockey primes, players like Matej Blumel and Riley Tufte. The Bruins took a chance on these players, and it paid off.
The big thing about these veterans is that they establish a winning culture both on and off the ice. “It’s vital because it can’t always be the message on the coach on how to live away from the rink and how to live like a pro,” Mougenel mentioned after the game. The young players are still learning the game but also training themselves for the NHL, and these players know what it takes to get there. “We’ve got guys like Brownie, Callahan, and DiPietro who live it every day,” he added, highlighting veterans at every position for the Bruins.
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They’ve also been integral in getting the message from Mougenel across to the prospects. “They’re amazing for me. They know my personality really well, so that helps too. They’re an extension of us,” Mougenel stated. Every team needs the buffers or the players who can get the message across to the rest of the room, and the Bruins have multiple players who they can turn to. They don’t all wear the C or the A on their jersey but by all means, they are key parts of the leadership group.
Likewise, they lead on the ice and allow the Bruins to win games. Most teams are focused on prospect development first and winning second. The truth is in the AHL that the two go hand in hand, as young talents can take big steps forward in a winning culture, and conversely, the losses can become detrimental to their development. The Bruins have given their NHL team a bump with their success in the AHL, as the prospects look prepared to come in and play at that level.
Goaltending Helps Providence
The Bruins have one of the best goaltending tandems in the AHL. “Those two guys have been exceptional,” Mougenel noted when talking about Michael DiPietro and Simon Zijicek. It’s a duo where both goaltenders have a save percentage (SV%) above .930 and a goals-against average (GAA) under 2.02 and 10 or more wins.
Sebastian Cossa and Sergei Murashov might be the frontrunners for AHL goaltender of the year but DiPietro, who won the award last season, isn’t far behind. “Michael is an exceptional goalie, and I just want to make sure his game is in the right place for when he gets that opportunity. I think he’ll be a really great goalie in the NHL,” Mougenel stated for a goaltender who has been dominant at the AHL level and is simply waiting for an opportunity at this point.
The question around DiPietro isn’t if he belongs in the NHL but what more he needs to do to prove worthy of that call-up. For the Bruins, it’s about doing it with caution, knowing once they bring him up, there’s no going back (the rest of the league is eyeing him like a hawk with the hopes they can claim him). “The most important thing is when his number gets called, his game is in a great place, and from the moment I met Michael, his game has been in a great place,” Mougenel noted about DiPietro, who, along with Zijicek, is leading the Bruins to another remarkable season.
The Next Level For The Bruins
In the big picture, the Bruins know that they are closer to winning a Calder Cup but not there yet. The players also know that they are close to the NHL but still have work to do. It’s a team that sees what’s in front of them at both levels, and it stands out in their play.
The Bruins are having a great season but in this season, a good season can change in a few games. The injuries or talent drain can cause a team to fall apart; it nearly set the Bruins back last season, as the NHL team traded a handful of their players and called up the prospects as a result. It’s why this time of the year, even as things go right, is key for this team. “The foundation right now is really important,” Mougenel noted after the recent game.
Every team has a next-player-up mentality but few execute it well. The Bruins are learning their systems and buying into the style of play needed to win, with the hopes that whenever the next wave of players is needed, they’ll step right in and prevent the team from dropping off. The drop off hasn’t happened yet, and with the way the team is playing, there’s a good chance they ride the wave into the Calder Cup Playoffs and beyond.
