Tufte's Two-Goal, Three-Point Night Propels Providence Bruins to 4-1 Win

Riley Tufte had two goals and an assist and Michael DiPietro made 19 saves as the Providence Bruins defeated the Charlotte Checkers 4-1 at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C., on Jan. 31, 2026. The victory pushed Providence to 31-8-1-0 and showcased finishing touch and veteran poise in key moments.

Victor Soderstrom’s wrist shot from the point rebounded out to Tufte above the crease, where he “flipped a shot into the back of the net to give the P-Bruins a 1-0 lead with 15:45 remaining in the first period. Matej Blumel received a secondary assist.” Tufte later “added a second deflection goal in the third,” giving him a two-goal, three-point night and his team-leading 18th goal of the season. The performance marked Tufte’s third multi-goal game of the campaign.

Providence extended its margin on a power play when Frédéric Brunet fired a wrist shot from the point that John Farinacci redirected from the low slot past the goaltender, a play that “gave the P-Bruins a 3-1 lead with 6:07 remaining in the third period. Tufte was credited with a secondary assist.” Dans Locmelis put the game away on the next sequence after Georgii Merkulov intercepted a pass at the top of the slot and slipped a feed to Locmelis in the left circle; Locmelis “took the puck to the crease and tucked it under the goaltender's pads to extend the Providence lead to 4-1 with 5:10 to play.”

Merkulov’s helper was more than an ordinary assist, it was his 210th career point, tying Andy Hilbert’s franchise scoring mark from 2001-05. Matej Blumel’s secondary assist on Tufte’s first-period goal was his 200th career AHL point. Those milestones underscore Providence’s mix of rising scorers and established producers.

Netminder Michael DiPietro kept the lead intact, as “DiPietro stopped 19 of 20 shots faced. The P-Bruins totaled 21 shots.” Special teams were efficient: the power play went 1-for-1 and the penalty kill was 4-for-4. Providence’s balanced attack and timely plays in transition limited Charlotte’s chances while converting the opportunities it earned.

The club also announced a roster move in the release, recalling Jacob Perreault from the Mariners. Providence remained in Charlotte to face the Checkers on Sunday, Feb. 1, with puck drop scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Fans who miss the arena can watch via AHLTV on FloHockey, which provides access to every regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff game for all 32 AHL teams and extensive live-event streaming.

For Providence, the win reinforced depth beyond its top lines: Tufte’s finishing, Merkulov’s creativity and DiPietro’s steadiness gave the Bruins momentum heading into the rematch, and Merkulov tying the franchise record will be a storyline to monitor as the season progresses.