The Providence Bruins kicked off their season with a 5-2 loss to the Laval Rocket on Opening Night at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, RI. In the first period, forwards Vinni Lettieri and Patrick Brown scored, while defenseman Jordan Oesterle contributed with two assists.
Lettieri opened the scoring on a power play just over three minutes into the game, collecting the puck from the corner, moving to the left circle, and firing a wrist shot that hit the crossbar and crossed the goal line. Oesterle and Georgii Merkulov assisted on the goal. Brown doubled the lead with a slap shot from the right circle that found the net, with Oesterle and Marc McLaughlin providing assists, making it 2-0 with 9:24 remaining in the first.
The Rocket responded when Adam Engström scored by backhanding a rebound from beside the right post, reducing the Bruins’ lead to 2-1 with 7:03 left in the first period. The second period saw Filip Mesar tie the game with a power play goal, slipping a shot through the goaltender’s legs from in front of the net at 12:28.
Logan Mailloux then scored, giving Laval a 3-2 lead after catching a pass across the crease and scoring from the right post with 6:47 left in the second period. The Rocket continued to extend their lead with a wraparound goal by William Trudeau early in the third period. Mailloux added his second goal, evading a defender and shooting into the upper-left corner from close range, sealing a 5-2 victory for Laval with 6:53 remaining.
In goal, Brandon Bussi made 34 saves on 39 shots faced. The Bruins’ power play was 1-for-4, while the penalty kill successfully stopped 2-of-3 chances against them. Lettieri’s goal marked the first of the 2024-25 AHL season, and Oesterle’s two assists were his first points as a member of the Providence Bruins.
The Bruins will next face the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday, October 12, at Total Mortgage Arena, with the puck set to drop at 7:00 p.m.