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Liam Pettersson – Vaxjo Lakers – U20 Nationell
Vaxjo rolled past IF Malmo 7–2 on Wednesday, and Pettersson played a steady supporting role in the win. He picked up an assist on the eventual game‑winner just 7:39 into the first period, then added another helper on the 4–1 marker late in the second at 13:53. He finished the night plus‑1 with one shot on goal, contributing quietly but effectively in a lopsided victory.
Vaxjo fell 2–1 in overtime to Rogle BK on Friday, a result made tougher by a short bench. Pettersson was unavailable, leaving Vaxjo to roll with just 11 forwards and five defensemen in the loss.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
HV71 dropped a 6-2 decision to Sodertalje SK on Friday. Blanar did not register a point, had one shot on goal and was a minus-2.
Vasteras IK edged out HV71 by a 3–2 score on Saturday, and Blanar was held off the scoresheet in the loss. He finished plus‑1 with three shots on goal.
Kirill Yemelyanov – Loko Yaroslav – MHL
Loko rolled to a 7–0 shutout of Almaz on Saturday, with Yemelyanov contributing at both ends of the ice. He scored in the final two minutes on a power play, establishing position at the top of the crease and angling home a firm redirect for his 29th of the season. He finished plus‑2 with four shots on goal, went 7‑for‑11 on draws, and logged 16:11 of ice time.
Casper Nassen – Miami (Ohio)
Miami’s losing streak stretched to six on Friday in a 5–3 setback against Omaha. Casper Nassen finally snapped his 12‑game goal drought in the final minute, but the late strike was all the RedHawks could muster. Nassen recorded two shots and saw just 9:38 of ice time.
Miami answered back on Saturday with a 4–2 win in the rematch, a game defined by a chaotic, penalty‑heavy second period that saw seven roughing calls and six misconducts handed out in the final 2:04. Nassen skated on the fourth line and was held without a point, finishing minus‑1 with two shots on goal.
Miami will face Denver in the NCHC Quarterfinals on March 6 and 7.
William Zellers, – University of North Dakota
North Dakota sealed the NCHC regular‑season title Friday with a 5–3 victory over Western Michigan. Zellers added insurance with a crafty drive to the crease for his 17th of the season. He finished with two shots on goal across 13:54 of ice time.
Western Michigan took the Saturday rematch in overtime, 4–3, and Zellers couldn’t replicate his Friday scoring touch. He was held without a point and finished minus‑2, but he was highly active offensively, firing eight shots on goal—more than any two teammates combined—while logging 18:52 of ice time.
North Dakota will face Omaha in the NCHC Quarterfinals on March 6 and 7.
James Hagens, Oskar Jellvik, Andre Gasseau, Dean Letourneau, Kristian Kostadinski, Will Moore – Boston College
Boston College dropped a 3–1 decision to Boston University on Friday. Trailing 2–0, the Eagles briefly cut into the deficit on a crisp tic‑tac‑toe sequence from Gasseau to Hagens to Letourneau, but that was as close as they would get. The lone bright spot came with the return of Oskar Jellvik, who logged 9:25 after missing most of the season due to injury. Letourneau posted three shots on goal and finished minus‑1 in 17:29, while Hagens also registered three shots, went minus‑2, and played 21:13. Moore was held off the scoresheet with two shots and a minus‑1 rating in 13:33, and Kostadinski recorded one shot on goal in 10:09.
BU completed the sweep on Saturday with a 5–1 win, a night in which Boston College found little traction beyond a lone bright spot: Oskar Jellvik’s first goal of the season, finished off a sharp feed from James Hagens. The momentum evaporated quickly, though, as the Eagles unraveled from there. Hagens closed the night minus‑2 with three shots on goal and a heavy 24:01 of ice time, while Jellvik finished minus‑1 with two shots in 14:25. Gasseau endured a tough outing at minus‑3, posting three shots and going 11‑for‑23 on draws in 23:19. Moore and Kostadinski were the only plus players, each finishing plus‑1 with 9:41 and 12:42 of ice time, respectively
BC has two games remaining in hopes of making the Hockey East playoffs – at Massachusetts Thursday and at home to Northeastern on Saturday. Teetering on the NCAA bubble, a couple of wins would go a long way.
Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac slipped to 25‑7‑3 after a 7–4 loss to Dartmouth on Friday night. Chris Pelosi provided an early spark, slipping behind the defense and chipping home his 17th of the season to give the Bobcats a brief 2–1 lead, but the momentum didn’t hold. He finished minus‑1 with one shot on goal, went 6‑for‑12 on draws, and logged 19:17 of ice time. Groenewold was held without a shot, posted a minus‑2 rating, and played 18:15.
Quinnipiac secured the ECAC regular‑season title (their sixth straight) on Saturday with a 4–1 win over Harvard. Pelosi was held off the scoresheet, finishing minus‑1 with five shots on goal while going 11‑for‑17 on draws and logging 18:55 of ice time. Groenewold was also held without a point, posting a plus‑1 rating with one shot on goal across 22:35.
Their schedule moving forward is to be determined.
Jonathan Morello – Boston University
Boston University’s 3–1 win over Boston College on Friday left Jonathan Morello off the scoresheet, even after a would‑be goal was called back. He generated four shots on goal, went 3‑for‑11 on draws, and logged 12:22 of ice time.
BU’s 5–1 win over Boston College on Saturday included a solid outing from Morello, who centered the fourth line and picked up an assist. He finished plus‑1 with two shots on goal and went 4‑for‑11 on draws in 14:07 of ice time.
Beckett Hendrickson – University of Minnesota
Minnesota snapped its four‑game winless skid with a 4–2 upset of Michigan on Thursday, but Hendrickson had a quiet night. Skating on the third‑line wing, he was held off the scoresheet, finishing with one shot on goal across 16:37 of ice time.
Hendrickson snapped a six‑game scoreless stretch Friday, jumping on his own rebound and lifting it upstairs for his sixth of the season, but Minnesota still came up short in a 4–2 loss to Michigan. He generated three shots on goal and logged 13:43 of ice time.
Ryan Walsh – Cornell University
Cornell rolled to a 5–1 win over St. Lawrence on Friday, with Ryan Walsh driving the offense. He capped the scoring midway through the third, breaking in alone and finishing a smooth forehand‑backhand move on the breakaway. Walsh added two assists for a three‑point night, finished plus‑3 with three shots on goal, went 9‑for‑17 on draws, and logged 19:12 of ice time.
Cornell edged Clarkson 2–1 on Saturday, and Walsh played a key role. He set up the Big Red’s first goal to pull the game even at 1–1, then drove play the rest of the night, finishing plus‑1 with a game‑high five shots on goal. He also went 13‑for‑25 on draws and logged 24:33 of ice time, the kind of heavy usage that reflects how much Cornell leans on him in tight, low‑event games.
Cornell finished tied with Dartmouth, but the latter wins on the tie-breaker. Cornell now waits for the second round on the ECAC Tournament.
Mason Langenbrunner – Harvard University
Harvard pushed its record to 14‑12‑2 with a 5–3 win over Princeton on Friday, and Mason Langenbrunner put the finishing touch on it. He sealed the victory with an empty‑netter—his second of the season—and closed the night plus‑2 with one shot on goal while leading all skaters with 23:41 of ice time.
Harvard’s 4–1 loss to Quinnipiac on Saturday capped a tough night, and Langenbrunner was held off the scoresheet. He finished minus‑1 with one shot on goal across 21:22 of ice time.
Harvard will face St Lawrence on Saturday in the first round of the ECAC Tournament.
Philip Svedeback – Providence College
Svedeback returned to the Providence lineup Friday but did not play in their 1-0 loss to New Hampshire. Just want to point out Providence’s record with Svedeback: 8-6-2; their record without 13-3-0.
Providence captures their first Hockey East regular season title with a 3-2 win over New Hampshire on Saturday. Svedeback did not play.
Cooper Simpson – Youngstown – USHL
Youngstown rolled through a rare mid‑week matchup on Wednesday, dispatching Muskegon 5–1 behind a statement night from Cooper Simpson. Simpson set the tone early with two first-period strikes, both from his trademark spot on the right faceoff dot. His opener came on the power play with 6:46 left in the first, taking a feed on the dot and snapping a lightning‑quick wrister for his 28th of the season. Early in the second, he broke free on a stretch pass and was denied on the breakaway, but the puck found him again moments later in that same right‑side circle. This time, his release was pure—beating the goaltender for the eventual game‑winner. He finished with two goals, an assist, and five shots, driving the offensive pace in a game Youngstown controlled wire to wire.
On Friday night Youngstown defeated Green Bay 3-2 in a shootout. Simpson was held off the scoresheet.
Simpson found the scoresheet on Saturday, but Green Bay flipped the script and skated away with a 5–3 win. His goal came off an offensive‑zone draw, drifting into the right circle, taking a feed, and waiting out a sliding defender before snapping a wrist shot home for his 30th of the season. He finished the night minus‑1 with four shots on goal
Cole Chandler – Shawinigan – QMJHL
On Saturday, Shawinigan skated to a 5-1 win over Val-d’Or. Chandler had an assist on the 3-0 goal, his 28th of the season. He had one shot on goal and was 2 for 6 on the dot.
Shawinigan’s 6–4 loss to Rouyn‑Noranda on Sunday had a late push but not enough finish. Already on the board with an assist and his club down 4–3 heading into the third, Rouyn‑Noranda stretched the gap to 5–3 at 5:23. Chandler answered with his 19th of the season, powering down the right side, shrugging off a defender at the top of the circle, and cutting to the net to pull the Cataractes back within one. That surge was as close as Shawinigan would get, though, as Rouyn‑Noranda sealed it with an empty‑netter.
Cole Spicer – Western Michigan
North Dakota’s 5–3 win over Western Michigan on Friday also marked the return of Cole Spicer, who drew back into the Michigan lineup but didn’t figure into the scoring. He registered one shot on goal, went 4‑for‑9 on faceoffs, and logged 10:57 of ice time
As mentioned earlier, Western Michigan defeated North Dakota 4-3 in overtime on Saturday. Spicer did not register a point, was a plus-1 and had one shot on goal in just 8:16 time on ice.
Western Michigan will now face Colorado College in the NCHC Quarterfinals.
Providence Bruins
Providence 6 – Lehigh Valley 4
t turned into a wild one in Allentown on Wednesday. Providence struck first when Georgii Merkulov threaded a pass into the slot for Matej Blumel, who snapped a wrister inside the post just 6:58 into the opening period. Christian Wolanin picked up the secondary assist on the power‑play marker, giving the Bruins an early jolt of momentum.
With 6:48 left in the first, Matthew Poitras jumped on a loose puck and slipped a drop pass into the slot for Merkulov, who fired a shot off the back bar to push Providence’s lead to 2–0. Victor Soderstrom picked up the secondary assist on the play.
Midway through the second, Providence stretched the lead when Blumel dropped the puck to Riley Tufte, who wasted no time threading a quick pass to Patrick Brown at the top of the crease. Brown redirected it home in one motion, pushing the Bruins ahead 3–0 and capping a crisp, three‑man sequence that carved open the Phantoms’ coverage.
After the Phantoms trimmed the deficit to 3–1, Providence answered right back with the same trio doing the damage. Blumel fed Tufte, who’s pass to Brown was deflected, and the captain swatted it out of midair to restore the three‑goal cushion with 3:48 left in the second — a momentum‑stealing response that quieted the building just as it was starting to stir.
The Phantoms clawed back early in the third, striking at 1:08 and again at 2:32 to cut Providence’s lead to one. But the Bruins steadied themselves quickly. Just 1:10 after the second Phantoms goal, Fabian Lysell snapped a wrist shot from the point that John Farinacci deftly redirected in front, restoring a 5–3 cushion. Michael Callahan picked up an assist on the play, helping Providence reclaim control before the game could tilt any further.
Joey Abate pushed the lead to 6–3 when he took a feed from Frederic Brunet and hammered a one‑timer past the goaltender, with Jacob Perreault also collecting an assist on the sequence. The Phantoms added a late shorthanded marker with 14 seconds left, but it only trimmed the margin as Providence closed out a decisive win.
Luke Cavallin stopped 28 of 32 shots and improved to 6-1-0 on the season.
Providence 3 – Bridgeport 2 (Shootout)
After falling behind 2-0 with 13:33 remaining in the first period on Saturday night, Providence went to work early in the third.
Just 2:07 into the third, the puck swung out to Ty Gallagher at the right point, and he hammered a slap shot into the upper‑far corner to cut the deficit to 2–1. Lysell and Riley Duran picked up the assists.
Midway through the third period, Blumel went to the net, pounced on a rebound and backhanded the puck past the outreached glove of the goaltender. Brown and Gallagher earned the assists.
Overtime solved nothing and Tufte scored the only goal of the shootout while Michael DiPietro stopped all three attempts he faced. He stopped 16 of 18 shots through regulation and overtime.
Providence 3 – Bridgeport 2
Sunday saw the same score in the rematch, only this time in regulation.
Duran broke the deadlock early in the second, turning a neutral‑zone miscue into a momentum swing. Jumping on a turnover at 3:23, he raced in alone shorthanded, slipped past the goaltender’s poke‑check attempt, and lifted a smooth backhand under the bar to open the scoring.
Bridgeport punched back with 7:16 left in the second, but Poitras restored the edge moments later. With 3:05 remaining, he gathered his own rebound and snapped a shot into the upper corner, reclaiming the lead. Gallagher and Brett Harrison picked up the assists on the play.
With six seconds left in the middle frame, Blumel drifted to the top of the circle and snapped a precise wrist shot inside the post to stretch the lead to two. Harrison and Gallagher were credited with the assists on the late-period strike.
Bridgeport would get one back 1:33 into the third period but that’s as close as they would come. DiPietro stopped 36 of 38 shots while Providence could only muster 17 shots of their own.
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 