After beginning the season 1-5, the Providence Bruins have turned things around in the American Hockey League (AHL) under first-year coach Trent Whitfield. However, what happened on Friday night is something that can be a big turning point for a team.
Providence trailed the Hamilton Hammers, 3-0, entering the third period, but exploded for five goals, the last three from Mikey Eyssimont, for a stunning 5-4 come-from-behind win to even their record at 6-6.
Bruins forward Mikey Eyssimont continues AHL heater
Riley Duran got the P-Bruins on the board in the third period, and Alex Steeves cut the deficit to 3-2 before Eyssimont went to work. After Hamilton made it 4-2, Eyssimont cut the deficit to 4-3 and then tied the game with 1:08 left. He was far from done.
Eyssimont buried what turned out to be the game-winner with 25 seconds left for an incredible victory. It was Eyssimont's first game back in the lineup after missing the last game after taking a puck to the mouth. He was also named the AHL Player of the Month for October, and this performance continues to help him get what he likely wants sooner rather than later: a trade to find a new home and a new beginning with another NHL club.
Eyssimont broke training camp with Boston, but the writing was on the wall: once Matthew Poitras was healthy enough to come off injured reserve, then he would be getting a look in the lineup. Eyssimont was placed on waivers, cleared, and assigned to the P-Bruins. he has dropped down to the AHL and been a true professional, but there doesn't seem to be much of a path back to Boston, unless an injury that will keep a player out for a fair amount of time happens.
As for Poitras, he has taken hold of the fourth-line center spot for head coach Marco Sturm, but he missed Thursday night's 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins after taking an elbow to the nose against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.
Eyssimont is joined by Steves in the AHL this season and they are doing everything they can to try to make an impression to be back in the NHL either in Boston or somewhere else. General manager Don Sweeney is going to have some decisions to make when it comes to trades between now and the trade deadline in three months, but Eyssimont is certainly making the case for an NHL team in need of depth to consider him at some point.
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