Providence Bruins Update: Studnicka, Vladar & Lauko

When the Boston Bruins began training camp last month at Warrior Ice Arena, there were a lot of questions as to who would make the Opening Night roster against the New Jersey Devils.

One of those players that were in question was forward Jack Studnicka. He ended up making the roster and actually began the season on the first line at right wing in the place of the rehabbing David Pastrnak. Studnicka struggled and was moved down to a middle-six spot for the next five games.

In that time, he scored one goal, the first goal at the TD Garden in the Bruins season opener on Jan. 21 against the Philadelphia Flyers, before he sidelined with a lower-body injury for four games. When he began skating against last Monday with the Bruins at practice at Warrior Ice Arena, it was a good sign that the 21-year-old was close to returning.

Coach Bruce Cassidy and the Bruins front office decided to send Studnicka down to practice with the P-Bruins and ultimately he joined the Baby B’s and has played in their last two American Hockey League games.

Studnicka and Vladar leave the Boston Bruins for Providence.

Joining Studnicka down Route 95 to Providence was goalie Dan Vladar, who has yet to play in any game action on the Bruins taxi squad in Boston.

Vladar made his season debut Thursday afternoon at the P-Bruins home arena for 2021, the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts and he made 20 saves in a 4-0 loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Saturday afternoon, Studnicka, who also played in Thursday’s game, registered his first AHL assist of the season in a 5-3 Providence victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on the road. For the second time this season, Jeremy Swayman picked up a win against the Sound Tigers when he made 17 saves. Through his first two games in 2021, Swayman has a 2.00 goals-against average (GAA) and a .915 save percentage (SV%).

Jakub Lauko has had a hot start through three games for Providence. Saturday he had a goal and two assists, which gives him one goal and four assists through three games. Undrafted free agent defensemen Jack Ahcan had two assists Saturday and has three on the season.

The 25-year-old Ahcan, who signed with the Bruins last season after his senior season at St. Cloud State University, has impressed through three games this season. In his four years at St. Cloud State, he was a point machine for a collegiate defenseman with 103 career points.

Providence is off until Feb. 19 when they travel back to Bridgeport to face the Sound Tigers.