Liam Pettersson – Vaxjo Lakers – U20 Nationell
Vaxjo fell 4–2 to Sodertalje SK on Saturday, despite a tightly played opening 40 minutes that featured a scoreless first period and a penalty‑filled second without a breakthrough. All four goals came in the final frame, but Pettersson was held off the scoresheet.
Vaxjo defeated Vasteras IK 5-0 on Sunday to get back into the win column. Pettersson broke out of his pointless draught with a powerplay assist early in the second period. He appears to be rounding into form after missing most of the early part of the season due to injury.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
Blanar returned to the lineup on Wednesday, but HV71 couldn’t capitalize, dropping a 7–4 decision to Linkoping HC. He picked up a late power‑play assist with 1:25 remaining to cut the deficit to 6–4, though the comeback push stopped there. Blanar finished even on the night and took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at the end of the second period—a costly moment, as Linkoping converted just 51 seconds into the third to extend their lead to 5–3.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
Thursday’s matchup was a one‑sided rout, as Loko rolled past Amur Tigers 12–1. Yemelyanov added to the onslaught with his 19th of the campaign on the power play, cashing in from his usual net‑front territory—his secondary sweet spot behind the right‑circle one‑timer—by screening the goaltender and burying a rebound to push the score to 7–1. He chipped in two assists for a three‑point night, registered two shots, went 11‑for‑16 on draws, and logged 13:45 of ice time.
Loko couldn’t carry Thursday’s offensive surge into Saturday, falling 2–0 to Taifun. Yemelyanov finished at minus‑1, registered three shots on goal, and went 4‑for‑15 on faceoffs while logging 16:44 of ice time.
Casper Nassen – Miami (Ohio)
Miami returned to the win column Friday with a 3–0 shutout of Omaha. Nassen was held off the scoresheet, finishing with one shot on goal across 14:37 of ice time.
Miami closed out a commanding weekend sweep with a 6–2 victory on Saturday, powered in part by another productive outing from Nassen. The winger set up two first‑period power‑play goals and remained active throughout the night, registering four shots on target in 16:57 of ice time while working on the second line. He finished the game at minus‑1, but his playmaking presence was evident from the opening puck drop.
William Zellers, – University of North Dakota
North Dakota rolled to a 5–0 shutout of Denver on Friday night, marking just the second time this season that Zellers has been held without a point in consecutive games—both occurring within his last six outings, excluding his standout performance at the World Junior Championship. He registered two shots on goal, posted a plus‑1 rating, and logged 17:42 of ice time.
Denver flipped the script on Saturday, grinding out a 3–2 victory and halting the momentum on the other side. For Zellers, it marked an uncharacteristic dip in production — the freshman standout has now gone three straight games without a point, the first such stretch of his young NCAA career.
James Hagens, Oskar Jellvik, Andre Gasseau, Dean Letourneau, Kristian Kostadinski, Will Moore – Boston College
Boston College dropped a game they largely controlled on Friday, falling 4–3 in overtime to Providence College in a matchup defined by a standout goaltending performance on the other side. Despite sustained pressure and a steady stream of chances from Letourneau and Hagens, both were kept off the scoresheet.
A bright spot for the Eagles came with the return of Andre Gasseau, who shook off some understandable rust to record two assists in 16:44 of ice time. His presence also sparked Will Moore, who buried his fourth goal of the season. BC dominated territorially and on the shot clock, outshooting Providence 46–19, with the Friars missing netminder Philip Svedeback.
Providence answered back on Saturday, taking the rematch by the same 4–3 margin — this time without needing overtime. Hagens drove much of the Friars’ offense, collecting three assists and firing five shots on goal in 22:49 of ice time, finishing at minus‑1. Letourneau added a helper of his own and held even on the night, winning eight of 14 draws while logging 21:00.
Gasseau paced all forwards with 22:56 of ice time, chipped in a goal, and registered three shots while finishing even. Moore was held off the scoresheet and ended at minus‑2, going 3‑for‑6 on faceoffs in a limited 10:02. Kostadinski posted a clean stat line across the board in 11:13 of action.
Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac rolled past Colgate 5–1 on Friday, fueled by a dominant four‑goal first period that included Pelosi’s 13th of the season on the power play. The forward wrapped up the night at plus‑1, registering one shot on goal and winning seven of 13 draws in 14:49 of ice time. Groenewold added a steady presence on the back end, picking up an assist, finishing plus‑2, and logging 20:16 with a shot on goal.
Quinnipiac kept its surge rolling on Saturday, securing a sixth straight victory with a 4–1 decision over Ryan Walsh and Cornell. Pelosi pushed his point streak to four games (2G, 2A), setting up the game’s opening goal to continue his steady production. He finished the night at plus‑1, recorded one shot on goal, won five of nine faceoffs, and logged 15:08 of ice time.
Groenewold pushed the lead to 3–0 with his third goal of the season, pouncing on a loose puck in the slot and snapping it home to extend his point streak to three games. He finished the night at plus‑2, recorded two shots on goal, and logged 23:12 of ice time. His strong two‑way play continues to stand out — he now leads the entire NCAA at plus‑27.
Jonathan Morello – Boston University
BU handled business on Monday night, skating to a 4–1 win over Harvard and Mason Langenbrunner. Morello delivered the eventual game‑winner midway through the second period, redirecting a point shot off his leg to break a 1–1 tie. He later added an assist on the first of two empty‑netters, helping the Terriers close out a convincing victory.
BU fell 4–3 in overtime to UMass‑Lowell on Friday, but Morello set the early tone with the game’s opening strike. After taking a feed to the right of the net, he dished the puck into the low slot but the puck came right back to him, and lifted it over a sprawled‑out goaltender. He finished the night plus‑1, recorded one shot on goal, went 9‑for‑9 on draws, and logged 15:55 of ice time.
BU responded in convincing fashion on Saturday, blanking UMass–Lowell 3–0 to close out the weekend. Morello didn’t factor into the scoring but delivered a steady two‑way effort, finishing plus‑2 with one shot on goal. He also won nine of 15 faceoffs while logging 16:09 of ice time.
Beckett Hendrickson – University of Minnesota
Minnesota’s struggles stretched into a third straight loss Friday, falling 5–1 to Michigan. Hendrickson didn’t factor into the lone Gophers tally, finishing even on the night with two shots on goal across 15:53 of ice time.
Minnesota’s slide continued Saturday with a 3–2 overtime loss to Michigan, marking the Gophers’ fourth straight defeat and adding to a growing sense of urgency. Hendrickson earned a promotion to the top line but couldn’t break through offensively, finishing at minus‑1 with one shot on goal across 19:20 of ice time.
Ryan Walsh – Cornell University
Cornell pushed its winning streak to six on Friday with a 2–1 victory over Princeton. Walsh didn’t figure into the scoring, finishing even on the night while going 4‑for‑10 on faceoffs and logging 18:49 of ice time.
As mentioned, Cornell came up short in Saturday’s matchup, falling 4–1 to Quinnipiac. Walsh was held off the scoresheet and finished at minus‑2, though he won six of nine faceoffs and logged 20:30 of ice time in the loss.
Mason Langenbrunner – Harvard University
BU’s 4–1 win over Harvard on Monday also offered a notable subplot: Mason Langenbrunner turned in a steady performance, picking up an assist on the opening goal and finishing plus‑1 across 20:13 of ice time. Adding to the intrigue, a BU social‑media post noted that Don Sweeney and Adam McQuaid were in attendance. With Langenbrunner in his senior year, the Bruins will soon face a decision on whether to bring him into the organization.
Harvard returned to the win column Friday with a convincing 5–1 victory over St. Lawrence, highlighted by Langenbrunner’s first goal of the season — which stood as the game‑winner. Off an offensive‑zone draw, he stepped into a pass at the center point and unloaded a clean slap shot that found the back of the net. He later added a shorthanded assist, finishing the night plus‑2 with two shots on goal and 20:15 of ice time.
Harvard strung together back‑to‑back victories for the first time since early December, edging Clarkson 2–1 on Saturday to cap an encouraging weekend. Langenbrunner was held off the scoresheet and finished at minus‑1 while logging 21:40 of ice time.
Cooper Simpson – Youngstown – USHL
Simpson pushed his point streak to five games on Wednesday, adding to Youngstown’s 8–3 rout of the NTDP with a pair of third‑period assists after the outcome was already well in hand. He closed the night at plus‑1 and led all skaters with seven shots on goal. His longest run of the season remains a 12‑game tear.
Youngstown outlasted Muskegon 5–4 in a shootout on Saturday, sparked by a momentum‑shifting push in the second period. Trailing 4–2, Simpson cut the deficit with a blistering wrist shot from the top of the left circle, and the Phantoms pulled even just 20 seconds later to eventually force overtime. Simpson also picked up an assist on Youngstown’s opening goal, factoring into two key moments in the comeback effort.
Sunday’s matchup was a tight, low‑event affair, but Youngstown ultimately emerged with a 2–0 shutout over Muskegon. The game remained scoreless until the third period, when Simpson left the ice after an awkward collision along the boards during a power play. It was a hit from behind but Simpson turned just as the hit was coming and face-planted on the dasher. Youngstown couldn’t convert on the two-man advantage, but Simpson returned later in the frame and broke the deadlock with an unassisted goal at 4:06. He was immediately assessed a 10‑minute misconduct for abuse of officials, and Youngstown added an empty‑netter in the final minutes to close out the win.
Cole Chandler – Shawinigan – QMJHL
Shawinigan was shut out 3–0 on Thursday, leaving Chandler off the scoresheet. He closed the night at minus‑1, registered four shots on goal, and won 12 of 21 faceoffs.
Shawinigan responded Friday with a 4-1 win over Sherbrooke. Cole Chandler did not play.
Shawinigan took control of Sunday’s rematch, skating to a 6–2 victory. Chandler made his return to the lineup and contributed immediately, picking up an assist while finishing plus‑1. He added four shots on goal and went 5‑for‑12 in the faceoff circle.
Cole Spicer – Western Michigan
Injured.
Providence Bruins
Congratulations to Michel DiPietro and Frederic Brunet who will join Patrick Brown and Head Coach Ryan Mougenel on the AHL Atlantic Division All-Star Classic on February 10-11.
Providence 1 – Wilkes-Barre Scranton 4
Wednesday night delivered what may stand as the Providence Bruins’ most disappointing outing of the season, a performance that never found its rhythm despite outshooting the Penguins 37-24.
Former Bruin Joona Koppanen wasted no time making his presence felt, batting a rebound out of midair and past DiPietro just 1:52 into the opening frame to give his club the early lead.
That advantage held deep into the second period, before a pinpoint finish with 3:48 left slipped past DiPietro to extend the Penguins’ cushion to 2–0.
The 2–0 margin held until the closing minutes of regulation, when the Penguins sealed the outcome with a pair of empty‑net strikes—one with 4:33 left and another just 52 seconds later—to put the game out of reach.
Michael Callahan broke the shutout bid with 1:24 remaining with a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that found the net inside the right post. DiPietro stopped 20 of 22 shots he faced in the loss.
Providence 5 – Cleveland 0
Providence blanked Cleveland 5-0 on Saturday led by Matej Blumel and DiPietro.
Riley Tufte created a turnover at his own blue line and turned it into an early 2‑on‑1, electing to keep and rip a wrist shot home just 3:48 into the game. Blumel doubled the lead to 2–0, hammering home a one‑timer from the right circle off a crisp setup from Christian Wolanin and Matthew Poitras with 3:27 remaining in the opening period.
A crisp give‑and‑go between Fabian Lysell and John Farinacci set the stage for Lysell to tuck home a slick wraparound, stretching the lead to 3–0 with 7:33 left in the second period. Ty Gallagher picked up the secondary assist on the play.
With 7:39 gone in the third, Brett Harrison drove hard to the crease and chipped in a rebound to extend Providence’s lead to 4–0, with Farinacci and Wolanin picking up the helpers. Later, with 3:11 left on the clock, Blumel capped the night by banking a shot off the goaltender after corralling a lively bounce off the end boards. Brown and Tufte were credited with the assists on the final tally.
DiPietro stopped all 21 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season. Luke Cavallin backed up DiPietro as Simon Zajicek was out with a lower body injury.
Providence 6 – Cleveland 2
Cavallin got the start in place of the injured Zajicek and had a solid outing, making 30 stops for his second AHL win.
Farinacci opened the scoring early, poking a rebound through the goaltender just 5:53 into the first to give Providence a 1–0 edge. Brunet added to the cushion in the final minute of the period, crashing the net and jamming home a loose rebound with 29 seconds left. Joey Abate and Riley Duran picked up the assists on the play.
Wolanin stretched the lead to 3–0 just 6:05 into the second period, unloading a heavy slap shot off a clean faceoff win by Brown on the power play. Only 16 seconds later, Tufte added to the onslaught, getting a piece of a Brown wrist shot to deflect it home for a 4–0 advantage. Brunet picked up the secondary assist on the play.
With 5:36 gone in the third, the lead stretched to 5–0 when Locmelis hammered a one‑timer from the right circle for yet another power‑play strike, with Brunet and Lysell collecting the assists. Cleveland answered with a pair of goals to chip away at the deficit, but Blumel sealed the night with a one‑timer from the slot, supported by helpers from Tufte and Brown.
Here’s a look at the Providence Bruins leaders. You will notice a column called “Benchrates” This is provided by our friends at Benchrates. Created by a retired hockey player, Benchrates has created an algorithm that computes values in real time. The value you see is the cap hit value they’ve earned this season to date. Give them a look and check out their site.
Coming up this week:
Dom - Hockey 