Prospects Report: Bussi, DiPietro Backbone P-Bruins to Big Week

BostonBruins.com – Check out how Boston Bruins’ prospects have performed over the past week through Providence, the NCAA, and junior hockey leagues.

Providence

The Providence Bruins bulldozed their way to three straight victories against American Hockey League opponents last week. The success started with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Syracuse Crunch on the road, before heading home for a 5-0 win over the Crunch and a 4-0 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds.

The goaltending duo of Michael DiPietro and Brandon Bussi backboned the P-Bruins to the three victories, kicking aside 90 of the 92 shots they saw over the week and earning back-to-back shutouts. DiPietro stopped 37 of 39 shots in last Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout win over the Crunch and allowed just one goal in five rounds of the shootout.

On Saturday, the Windsor, Ontario, native kicked away all 26 shots to earn his third shutout of the season in a 5-0 victory over the Crunch. In Sunday’s victory, Bussi stopped all 27 shots to put the P-Bruins past the Thunderbirds 4-0. The Sound Beach, New York, native recorded his third shutout of the season.

Bussi believed the team played well defensively all week, making the goaltenders’ jobs easier.

“Defensively, our team was really strong in front of me and Dip [DiPietro],” said Bussi. “They gave us a lot of opportunities to see pucks and make our jobs a little bit easier. It felt good for both of us to come up with big saves when needed.”

Tyler Pitlick, who is on an AHL deal, notched three goals and two assists in the three victories. The Minneapolis, Minnesota, native scored the game-tying goal with 3:24 remaining in Wednesday’s shootout win at Syracuse in his first game back since December 27. The forward notched an assist on the game-winning goal in Saturday’s win, and posted two goals and an assist in Sunday’s triumph. Pitlick totals 11 goals and nine assists through 27 games this season.

Pitlick feels that the chemistry keeps building for his team.

“I think things are starting to click,” Pitlick said after Sunday’s victory. “I think we’re trusting each other and trusting guys to make plays.”

Georgii Merkulov tallied a point in all three games last week, extending his point streak five games with six total points in that span. The Ryazan, Russia, native scored goals on Wednesday and Saturday, and added an assist on Sunday. The forward totals 10 goals and 23 assists through 35 games this season.

Assistant Coach Trent Whitfield believes Merkulov’s game is constantly progressing.

“Merkulov’s game has really been coming along,” said Whitfield. “He’s been playing both ends, hunting the puck defensively, shutting things down in his own end, and he’s getting rewarded down at the other end of the ice. It’s good to see that he’s taken steps defensively and it’s working offensively as well.”

NCAA

• Beckett Hendrickson recorded two primary assists in the No. 4-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers’ 5-2 win over Notre Dame last Friday night. The freshman has three goals and five assists through 26 games for the Gophers. The Minnetonka, Minnesota, native was originally selected by Boston in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
• Ryan Walsh posted a goal and two assists in the Cornell Big Red’s 6-2 win at Princeton on Friday. The sophomore leads the team with eight assists and 16 points and is tied for the team lead with eight goals. The Rochester, New York, native was originally selected by Boston in the sixth round (188th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.