P-BRUINS FALL TO MARLIES

Dec 15, 2023

Providence, RI -  Eight unanswered goals allowed gave the Providence Bruins their second straight loss as they fell to the Toronto Marlies 8-2 on Friday night at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Jayson Megna and Georgii Merkulovscored goals for the P-Bruins. 

 

How It Happened

• Luke Toporowski protected the puck around the defenseman along the right-side boards, cut hard to the net, and flipped a shot on cage that rebounded out to Megna at the left post, who jammed it across the goal line, giving the P-Bruins a 1-0 lead with 6:05 remaining in the first period. Lysell received an assist as well. 
• From the slot, Alex Steeves saucered a pass to Dylan Gambrell in front of the goaltender, where he pulled it to the backhand and flipped it inside the near post, tying the game at 1-1 with 3:54 left in the first frame. 
• With 26 seconds left in the first period, Logan Shaw stripped a defender of the puck in the offensive zone and backhanded a shot under the goaltender’s pads for a short-handed goal, giving Toronto a 2-1 lead. 
• While on the power play, Shaw’s wrist shot from the left circle found the upper-right corner of the net, extending the Marlies’ lead to 3-1 with 15:53 to play in the second period. 
• Mikko Kokkonen snapped a shot from the left point that beat the goaltender on the blocker side, giving Toronto a 4-1 lead with 14:05 remaining in the second period.
• In the slot, Kieffer Bellows tried to sneak a pass under a defender that got blocked, sending the puck right back to his stick, before he found the back of the net with 11:26 left in the second frame, extending the Marlies’ lead to 5-1. 
• Steeves’ pass from the right circle deflected off Gambrell’s stick in the slot and into the back of the net for a power play goal, giving Toronto a 6-1 lead with 8:05 to play in the second period. 
• 1:16 into the third period, Matteo Pietronio snapped a shot from the left circle into the top shelf of the net, extending the Marlies’ lead to 7-1.
• Topi Niemelä slapped in a rebound in the slot, making it 8-1 Marlies with 9:22 left in the third period. 
• Merkulov’s one-timer from the right circle found the back of the net for a power play goal, cutting the Toronto lead to 8-2 with 5:28 remaining. Reilly Walsh and John Farinacci were credited with the assists. 

 

Stats

• Merkulov extended his goal scoring streak to four games. He has nine points in that span. 
• Goaltender Michael DiPietro stopped 9 of the 12 shots he faced through the first 24 minutes of play. Brandon Bussi stopped 12 of 17 in relief. The P-Bruins totaled 34 shots. 
• The Providence power play went 1-for-4, and the penalty kill was 3-for-5.

 

Up Next

The Providence Bruins host the Syracuse Crunch on Sunday, December 17 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Puck drop is set for 4:05 P.M.

 

#12/15/23#