Colby Cave is off to an explosive start in Providence

The Providence Bruins might be off to a slow start, but Colby Cave is not.

The 23-year-old center, now in his fourth season with Providence, leads the team with seven points through six games. He has scored in four straight games and has at least a point in his past five. His 38.5 shooting percentage is the best on the team.

“He’s really skated [well], and it does appear that he’s got more confidence with the puck,” said Head Coach Jay Leach. “I think he finds himself in scoring areas a little bit more than he has in the past. [He’s] kind of leading the charge for us. He’s been great.”

For Cave, offense has not been an issue since joining the P-Bruins full-time during the 2015-2016 season. He hit the 30-point plateau in each of his last two seasons and amassed 97 points in 224 games prior to this season.

It’s the consistent rate at which he is producing that has drawn eyes. Cave, an effective penalty-killer and bottom-six forward, was elevated to the top line for last weekend’s games. Sure, a poor start and a lack of production from the rest of the team might have contributed to this decision, but Cave has earned a shot with five goals and two assists in his first six games.

It remains to be seen if Cave can keep up this production throughout the season, but it’s certainly been a welcoming sight early on, especially for a team that lost its top two scorers from last season in Kenny Agostino and Austin Czarnik.

Sometimes all you need is a little confidence to get going, and it’s obvious Cave is playing with some pep in his step.