Affiliate Report: Providence shuffles schedule, Maine extends losing streak

When it rains, it pours.

The outlook across all fronts of the Boston Bruins’ organization is about as bleak as it gets currently, with all three teams in dire straights.

Up in Boston, the big club has been plagued by inconsistent play while trade requests have already come into play. In Providence, an idle week spurred by double-digit COVID cases sent a ripple effect across the organization, making player movement impossible. And in Maine, a once-promising season has quickly turned sour.

The Mariners were the lone affiliate in action over the past week, with the ECHL outfit going 0-2-1 over three games in the region. Last Wednesday, a shootout loss to the Worcester Railers (N.Y. Islanders) continued a stretch of paltry play, culminating over the weekend with a pair of 4-1 losses at home to the Adirondack Thunder (N.J. Devils).

Providence Bruins

Providence remained in a shutdown over the past week, postponing three games due to a COVID outbreak within the team. The P-Bruins were set to play three games in three days over the weekend, including two at home.

Aside from the Dunkin’ Donuts Center bull gang getting some much-needed R&R, Providence will likely be hitting the ice again this coming weekend. Here are the new dates for the three postponed contests:

• December 3 vs. Hartford — Monday, April 4 at 7:05 p.m.
• December 4 at Bridgeport — Wednesday, December 15 at 7 p.m.
• December 5 vs. Utica — Monday, January 10 at 7:05 p.m.

Player of the Week: Jack Ahcan — We’ll slide an asterisk next to this one, but Ahcan was one of the few healthy Providence mainstays who managed to get called up over the weekend. Ahcan featured in Boston’s loss to Tampa on Saturday, registering two shots on goal and a hit as one of the Bruins’ more productive defenders.

UP NEXT: Should the timeline for Providence remain the same, they’ll hit the ice for three games in three days this weekend. First, they’ll welcome the Belleville Senators to town on Friday night (7:05 p.m.) before heading out to Western Mass. to face the Springfield Thunderbirds (St. Louis Blues) on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. The weekend ends on Sunday with a matinee against the Toronto Marlies at 3:05 p.m.

Maine Mariners

Not the best week for the boys from Portland.

Looking to snap a two-game skid, the Mariners instead went winless over three contests. In last Wednesday’s loss to Worcester, Andrew Romano knotted the game at 2-2 early in the third period, following up Keltie Jeri-Leon’s goal from early in the first, but the Mariners couldn’t find the finishing touch. Between the pipes, Jeremy Brodeur made 33 saves but only one stop in the shootout.

With a return home to the Cross Insurance Arena for a pair against Adirondack, Maine still couldn’t break out of its funk despite scoring first in both games.

On Saturday, the Mariners held a 1-0 lead after 40 minutes before the wheels fell off as Adirondack took the lead in the opening eight minutes of the third period and never looked back. Former Boston University standout, 36-year-old Peter MacArthur who totaled 147 points in four collegiate seasons, added the dagger late in the third to virtually seal a 4-1 win.

Sunday’s game played out the same way, with Justin Brazeau firing the Mariners in front late in the first period. A pair of late second-period tallies saw the visitors jump in front after 40 minutes, with two more goals in the third securing the weekend sweep.

Player of the Week: Justin Brazeau — The only one with multiple points this weekend, Brazeau played well in helping fill in for the loss of Lewis Zerter-Gossage (loaned to Tucson) among other mounting injuries.

In trade news, Maine did acquire forward Jack Bricknell from Kansas City in exchange for Mikael Robidoux. Welcome to the Bruins organization, Jake!

UP NEXT: No time to hang their heads as the Mariners embark on four games in five days this week. On Wednesday, Maine heads to Worcester for a 10:05 a.m. faceoff with the Railers. The teams will then play a home-and-home on Friday in Maine (7:15 p.m.) and Saturday back at the DCU Center (7:05 p.m.). Maine ends the week with a trip to face Adirondack on Sunday afternoon (3:00 p.m.).