If the Boston Bruins playing on back-to-back nights to start the week isn't enough hockey, the Providence Bruins' matchup with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night should be a must-watch for fans who want to see the AHL team make a run at the Calder Cup this season. The Atlantic Division rivals will play for the first time this season with plenty on the line, as the Bruins enter 6-0-0 and the Penguins own a 7-0-0 record.
The Bruins-Penguins rivalry at the NHL level has taken a bit of a backseat after a couple of playoff matchups in the 2010s, but that doesn't mean it can't ignite again. It looks like the Penguins will be in good hands once Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang eventually depart, and the Bruins hope that the core of their AHL team will also make the jump in the coming years.
A perfect way for the rivalry to start again is for these teams to battle all year for positioning as they try to give themselves the best chance at the Calder Cup. The Penguins and Bruins are two of the top offensive teams in the AHL, and there will be plenty of firepower on the ice on Wednesday night, which should be of interest to both fan bases.
Who to watch on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
An old friend of the Bruins is leading the AHL in points and pacing the Penguins' offense. Danton Heinen was unable to land an NHL spot this season, but if he continues to light the minors on fire, it might not be long before he earns a job. Through seven games, he leads the Penguins with four goals and eight assists.
While Heinen isn't a massive part of the Penguins' future, a forward that we'll soon see at the NHL level is Ville Koivunen. The AHL rookie is a point behind Heinen for the league lead with four goals and seven assists in one fewer game.
The Penguins also have a former NHL regular anchoring their blueline, as Ryan Graves was a surprising waiver addition at the end of training camp. Pittsburgh is paying him a lot of money to ride the buses in the minors, but he could pay off some of that by being a leader for the young players at the AHL level.
The most impressive part of the Penguins' season so far has been their goaltending, which should be an excellent test for a Providence team that prides itself on its scoring depth. Both Penguins goaltenders, Sergei Murashov and Filip Larsson, have sub-1.46 goals-against averages and allowed just ten goals combined through seven games.