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Looking Ahead: Five Must-See Home Games for the Providence Bruins

The second week of October usually signals the beginning of the NHL season but instead, it’s the American Hockey League that has the spotlight. The NHL lockout has forced numerous players to find a new rink to skate in overseas while others have migrated down to the AHL.

While the Providence Bruins may not play stacked, lockout-saturated teams such as the Oklahoma City Barons or Toronto Marlies, there are plenty of key games where fans will get to witness NHL-talent on the AHL-level. Plus, it’s professional hockey, automatically giving the AHL an advantage over the NHL…for now. Here are some key P-Bruins home games for the 2012-13 season.

NHL 2010-11 Top 100 Prospect Rankings (Part 2: 51 to 75)

#61 Zack Kassian BUF F Drafted: 2009-13th

One-Timer: Kassian is one of the OHL’s toughest players and doesn’t shy away from donnybrooks, but needs to show more discipline after sometimes taking needless penalties. (Since I wrote that portion for my 2009 draft profile, he unfortunately took it to a new level last season.)There is no doubting the size, skill and energy he brings to the table, but he does need to continue to work on his skating and likewise getting quicker.