The Providence Bruins started their 2019-2020 season last weekend with a pair of victories.
Providence defeated Lehigh Valley 3-0 in game one of the regular season. Veteran goalie Maxime Legace earned the shutout in his first start with his new club.
In the second game, Providence went home with a 2-1 victory in overtime. Brendan Guance scored the overtime winner for the Baby B’s.
Guance impresses in his team debut
Guance is one of the more intriguing players in the Bruins organization. He signed a two-way deal with Boston this summer after five years in Vancouver’s system.
Vancouver drafted Guance in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The Canucks had high expectations, but Guance struggled to find his game.
He played 117 games in parts of four seasons with Vancouver. Guance only managed six goals and nine assists in these games. Given this stat line, it’s not much of a surprise the Canucks did not qualify Guance this summer.
That said, Guance gets a fresh start with the Bruins organization. For Boston, this is a risk-free move. The Bruins lose nothing if Guance doesn’t pan out. And if he does, Boston has some additional forward depth this season.
Guance benefits too because he gets another chance to show why he was a first round pick eight years ago. Guance has a big frame, and he’s a capable two-way player. He could change his game a bit and earn a bottom-six role at some point.
Guance’s talents were on display last weekend with Providence. He scored in the first game against Lehigh Valley, and he scored the winning goal the next night in Hershey. Guance also had an assist.
If Guance continues to impress, the Bruins may consider him as an important depth piece this season.