Dramatic Ending Highlights Dull Providence-Albany Hockey Game

On Friday, March 20, the Providence Bruins faced the Albany River Rats at the Dunkin' Donut Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The American League teams faced off and the game was lacking in excitement: no fights, fouls, nor goals during the three periods. This was the second and final match-up of the teams for this season and the Bruins entered the game with a 4-game winning streak.

Although there were over 70 shots on net, neither team managed to score during the regular game-meaning that goalies Tuukka Rask (Providence) and Justin Peters (Albany) were on top of their games that evening.The tied game led to a 5-minute overtime period, which did not break the tie. Still not an exciting game, but then the shoot-out began.

The first goal of the game went to the P-Bruins' Martin St. Pierre and the crowd enthusiastically cheered for the home team. The next goal was attributed to Albany's Jakub Petruzalek and that is when the game took a rowdy turn. There was a debate about whether or not Petruzalek lost control of the puck before taking his shot on net that snuck past Rask who had fallen and was on the ice when the goal was scored. The goalie and team questioned the goal and after the referees conferred and those of us in the crowd watched the replay at least 3 times, but the score was tied 1-1. Albany's Harrison Reed scored the next goal of the game and it bounced back out of the net leading to the drama that ended up being more exciting than anything that happened on the ice during the game! Providence's Rask again questioned the referee's call, which stood and lead to the 2-1 defeat of the Bruins by the River Rats.

As Rask left the ice, he broke and flung his stick onto the rink and topped off his outburst when he sent an egg crate flying out of the Bruins' players' box onto the ice! From there, the fans got involved and everything from Frisbees to water bottles to trash was thrown onto the ice-leading to an announcement advising fans not to throw anything onto the rink.

Although the game itself was dull, the last 5 minutes of the game contained more excitement than anything that happened that night at the Dunk. Rask was not suspended for his outburst and video of the game's climax and Rask's outburst can be seen on the Providence Journal's website.