Boston College dropped eight of its last nine regular-season contests, meaning Fitzgerald (third round, 2016) and fellow tri-captain and Sabres prospect Christopher Brown (sixth round, 2014) will need to win the Hockey East Tournament to receive an automatic bid for NCAAs.
Fitzgerald and Brown are both seniors, and both have had their eyes set on making one final run to the Frozen Four in Buffalo.
"It hasn't really sunk in yet that it's almost coming to an end," Fitzgerald said. "Senior year or not you're pouring your emotions, you're pouring everything you've got into these playoffs and this final stretch here.
"For sure, it's definitely a little different being my last time around here, but you've got to just treat it like it's another game and just go out there and know that you've got to win to move on, so you've got to do whatever it takes."
While a Hockey East Tournament title may not be necessary for Providence to advance to the NCAA Tournament, it remains high on Bryson's to-do list. The Friars lost to Boston University in the conference championship game last season, then came a game short of the Frozen Four in the NCAA Tournament.
"I haven't made it there my last two years, but hopefully this year we can," Bryson said. "It sucks to be knocked out after getting so close to the Frozen Four. It would be something special to get there. I think playing in Buffalo would be cool as well, but I think our team's young and it would be awesome just to make it there but hopefully win it too."
Bryson, a junior, has 24 points (4+20) in 36 games. Friars coach Nate Leaman said in November that he utilized the defenseman in all situations, a role he's grown into as the season has progressed.
"I think I've grown a little bit over the year, which is good," he said. "I'm trying to develop every day and get better at little things each and every time I go out on the ice."
Boston College and Providence met three times during the regular season, with the home team winning on each occasion. The Eagles won the first two contests in January; the Friars took a tightly-contested game in their regular-season finale last Thursday.
The two defensemen have formed a mutual respect through their head-to-head meetings as well as their time spent together at Sabres camps.
Here's Fitzgerald on Bryson: "He's an awesome player and a better kid. He's a great guy. I've been with him a lot over the past two years at camp. Just to see him develop as well, a very skilled player, very dynamic, crafty offensive defenseman. He's a guy that we kind of look out for playing against them. We've got to keep an eye on him."
And Bryson on Fitzgerald: "I would say he's a two-way defenseman. He's very good at defense and he's able to join the rush and stuff like that, he's very good at offense too. He's good in his O-zone, he's good in his D-zone - he's pretty good all over the ice."
Game 1 of the three-game quarterfinal series between Boston College and Providence is set for Friday at 7 p.m.
