Affiliates Report: Providence & Atlanta back on track

After recent rough stretches for both Boston Bruins affiliates, this past week allowed Providence and Atlanta to get back on track with some much-needed victories.

Providence Bruins

The AHL club snapped a four-game losing streak with a clean sweep of a home-and-home series against the Springfield Falcons. Providence took the opener on Saturday at Springfield, 5-2, followed by a 5-3 win on Sunday at home. In both games, Providence raced out to early leads and never looked back.

A big positive for Boston out of this series was Karson Kuhlman getting some meaningful minutes, finishing the weekend with two goals and an assist.

It was also a big weekend for a couple other players vying for recalls to the NHL. Anton Blidh scored twice, Trent Frederic had three points, and Peter Cehlarik provided a goal and an assist.

Player of the Week: Brendan Gaunce & Brendan Woods – The two share a name and share the spotlight this week. Gaunce had a goal and two helpers while Woods had an assist on Saturday and a pair of goals on Sunday.

NEXT UP: It’s three games in as many days next weekend for Providence. They’ll have a home-and-home series with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Friday and Saturday before returning home for a Sunday matinee with Springfield again.

Atlanta Gladiators

It was a three-game week for Boston’s ECHL affiliate with each matchup coming at home in Georgia. Atlanta took down Greenville, 3-1, on Thursday before a 7-3 loss to Jacksonville on Friday. Atlanta then closed the weekend with a 1-0 win over the Brampton Beast on Sunday afternoon.

Atlanta overcame an early one-goal deficit against the Swamp Rabbits on Thursday night thanks to a 46-save performance by Chris Nell. It was the opposite on Friday, however, as a 2-0 second-period lead evaporated with five Jacksonville tallies in the middle frame.

But on Sunday, the Gladiators’ defense returned and a shorthanded goal in the third period from Cody Corbett provided the difference as Nell made 35 stops in the shutout.

Player of the Week: Tommy Marchin – The only Gladiator with a point in all three games, the 24-year-old maintained his point-per-game pace on the season with a goal and two assists over the weekend.

NEXT UP: It’s a busy week for Atlanta as they close out their five-game homestand with a pair of contests against the Orlando Solar Bears on Wednesday and Friday followed by a trip up the coast to face the South Carolina Stingrays on Saturday.