Providence Bruins' season hangs by a thread after Game 2 loss to Charlotte. What's next?
PROVIDENCE — Sunday night could well have been the last hockey game played at Amica Mutual Pavilion in this 2024-25 season.
It will take something extraordinary from the Providence Bruins to force another. They'll require three straight road wins at Charlotte to advance past the second round of these Calder Cup playoffs.
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The Checkers smothered the hosts in the first period, took a two-goal lead in the second and rode a strong third from goalie Kaapo Kähkönen. He finished off a 32-save shutout to clinch a 2-0 victory, one that has the P-Bruins on the brink of elimination in this best-of-5 series.
Providence dropped both of its contests at home and will now be forced to win three in a row at Bojangles Coliseum. Game 3 is Wednesday night, and Charlotte needs just one victory in its own building to dump the P-Bruins out of the postseason.
Providence Bruin Forward Riley Tufte and Charlotte Checkers Justin Sourdif hit the ice after a first period collision.
'I didn't like some of our compete tonight,' Providence coach Ryan Mougenel said. 'It's a little disappointing. And it's something that I know this group can turn around.
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'It's a special group in the fact that we have some great leaders and we have some young guys who are full of life and energy. We've got to keep playing our game where we've had success, and I feel like we've gotten away from it.'
Wilmer Skoog and Ben Steeves both found the net by the 8:46 mark of the second, the culmination of a push that started from the night's opening faceoff. The P-Bruins needed nearly 15 minutes to generate a single shot on goal and were whistled for the game's first three penalties. Their turn carrying the play came too late, with Kähkönen locked in and denying them despite an empty net and an extra attacker over the final 2:45.
'We started playing our game,' Providence forward Matthew Poitras said. 'We've got to find a way to start that way and play that way for a full 60.'
Skoog jammed at the right post to nudge one home early in the second, driving to the net after a Checkers faceoff win in the right circle. Steeves doubled the advantage on a pretty diagonal feed from Marek Alscher inside the left point, a cross-ice pass the New Hampshire native slipped home on a one-timer. Providence was held to one goal or less for the fourth time in five games during this playoff run, with a 5-1 win over Springfield in Game 3 the previous round the lone exception.
Providence Bruin Frederic Brunet fends off Checkers center Rasmus Asplun as he deflects a shot at goal in front of the Bruin's net in the first period.
'The offense has dried up a bit here other than one game,' Poitras said. 'We've got to find a way to be consistent and just put the puck in the net.'
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The Bruins did themselves no favors on the power play, finishing 0-for-5 and shortening a pair thanks to their own minor penalties. Vinni Lettieri was whistled for interference 34 seconds into a man advantage early in the second and Fraser Minten was called for high-sticking 31 seconds into Providence's next opportunity. Charlotte also finished 0-for-5 but found enough daylight while at even strength.
'I think it was pretty visible — the players were a little bit frustrated,' Mougenel said. 'But that's an excuse. The other side of it is our power play wasn't good.'
Riley Duran's shorthanded breakway in the second was turned aside by Kähkönen, who flashed a quick left pad to keep it a 1-0 game. He wasn't seriously tested again until the third, and by then the Checkers had retreated into a defensive shell around their own net. The P-Bruins were on the way to the same disappointment they felt in a 5-1 loss on Friday night.
'We have a great group,' Poitras said. 'Nobody is giving up. We'll go to Charlotte, take it one game at a time and see what happens.'
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Mougenel spoke with Boston assistant coach Chris Kelly after Game 1, and the two compared notes about what they observed. Kelly shared some guidance with Mougenel that he'll look to reinforce with his players ahead of another 7 p.m. faceoff. It could be the last pregame talk he offers this year.
'The biggest thing he said to me was the regular season, you earn a paycheck,' Mougenel said. 'The playoffs are about your reputation. That was a message to the guys today.
'We want guys playing meaningful games. We want to see how you play in meaningful games.'
Charlotte 2, Providence 0
First period: No scoring. Penalties – C 1-2, P 3-6.
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Second period: C, Wilmer Skoog (CJ Smith), 2:10; C, Ben Steeves (Marek Alscher, Mikulas Hovorka), 8:46. Penalties – C 2-4, P 2-4.
Third period: No scoring. Penalties – C, 3-6, P 2-4.
Shots on goal – C 13-14-2 – 29, P 4-13-15 – 32. Saves – Kaapo Kähkönen, C, 32; Michael DiPietro, P, 27.
A – 3,566.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence Bruins lose to Charlotte Checkers 2-0, trail series 0-2
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