Boston Bruins prospect and Providence Bruins winger Fabian Lysell could miss ‘significant time’ according to Providence head coach Ryan Mougenel.
“He’s gonna miss, probably, significant time; I would imagine,” Mougenel told the media after the Baby Bruins fell 3-2 to the Syracuse Crunch ina. shootout on Sunday. “It’s disappointing. He was starting to play really well.”
Fabian Lysell suffered an upper-body injury when he lost an edge and crashed hard into the boards during the third period of the Providence Bruins’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday night. Lysell was not in the lineup for the game against the Crunch on Sunday.
The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Lysell, who, earlier in the game, extended his point streak to five games with an assist on a Reilly Walsh goal 3:18 into the second period. That gave Lysell seven assists during that five-game point streak.
The 21-year-old, 5-foot-11, 181-pound winger whom the Boston Bruins selected 21st overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft was having a great second half to his 2023-24 AHL season. Following a game on Dec. 17, Mougenel called out the highly touted prospect for the Boston Bruins, citing work ethic and ‘buying in’ as an issue.
“Um. …listen there are a lot of good things that he does. He can create anxiety with his feet. But for Fabian, he has to recognize that sometimes there’s not always a play to be made,” Mougenel said. “I think that’s still in his growth. He’s learning that. I’m not saying that he won’t, but the team game is really important, and he’s got five other guys there. I hate the play in the third period where he’s trying to beat a guy 1-on-4, and that’s the stuff he’s got to get out of his game, and it’s recognizing that. We’re getting into year two here, and he’s gotta start buying in, or he won’t play for Jim Montgomery.
The organizational systems and game plans for the Boston Bruins are built on a team game and not individual accolades or shows on the ice. As Mougenel pointed out, Lysell won’t be playing for Montgomery any time soon if he refuses to buy into that. For the Providence Bruins and the Boston Bruins, that needs to happen soon.
“That’s a big part of Monty’s game is the team game and building the team game,” Mougenel pointed out. “A lot of that is possession. You can’t necessarily chip the puck, get it back, expand, and hit the weak side D; you need five other guys to be a part of that, and you have to be connected with a willingness to play that way, and until you do, you’re outta here; you’re not in the American League, you’re Jim Montgomery’s problem. Until then, he’s gotta start building that into his game.”
Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney was asked about Mougenel’s assessment of Lysell on Monday.
Since then, Lysell has eight goals and 23 assists in 33 games.
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