Tl;Dr Recap for those who just want the stats:

1/12/18 Providence (22-10-2) vs. Bridgeport (16-13-6) 7:05 PM

Goalies: Jordan Binnington, 25 of 28 shots, 0.892 SV%; Christopher Gibson, 28 of 30 shots, 0.933 SV%

Box Score w/ Scoring Summary:

Team Period Goal Assist(s) PRO 1st P. Cehlarik R. Fitzgerald, S. Acolatse BRI 1st S. Bernier (PP) T. Fritz, M. Vande-Sompel BRI 2nd K. Burroughs R. Borque, T. Fritz PRO 2nd J. Szwarz K. Agostino, J. Zboril BRI 3rd C. Bailey S. Helgeson, M. Vande-Sompel

PVD 3-2 Regulation Loss, Drops to (22-11-2); Bridgeport Improves to (17-13-6)

1/13/18 Providence (22-11-2) @ Bridgeport (17-13-6) 7:05 PM

Goalies: Zane McIntyre 17 of 18 shots, 0.944 SV%; Christopher Gibson, 28 of 27 shots, 0.964 SV%

Box Score w/ Scoring Summary:

Team Period Goal Assist(s) BRI 2nd C. Jones J. Ho-Sang, P. Cullity PRO 3rd R. Fitzgerald Z. Senyshyn, C. Cave

Shootout: Jordan Szwarz (PRO), Travis St. Denis (BRI), Mitch Vande Sompel (BRI).

PVD 2-1 Shootout L, drops to (22-11-3), Bridgeport Improves to (18-13-6)

1/14/18 Providence (22-11-3) vs. Springfield (17-21-2) 3:05 PM

Goalies: Jordan Binnington, 16 of 19 shots, 0.842 SV%; Zane McIntyre, 13 of 14 shots, 0.928 SV%; Evan Cowley, 0.944 SV%

Box Score w/Scoring Sumary:

Team Period Goal Assist(s) SPR 1st E. Wittchow C. Balisey, R. Hamilton PRO 1st C. Hargrove A. Blidh, C. Porter PRO 1st K. Agostino (PPG) A. Czarnik, T. Cross SPR 2nd J. Lammiko M. Mamin, T. Schemitsch SPR 2nd M. Mamin J. Hawryluk, L. Bystrom SPR 2nd D. Hunt A. Greco, C. Valk SPR 3rd D. Hunt (ENG) C. Balisey

PVD 5-2 Regulation L, drops to (22-12-3), SPR improves to (18-21-2)

X’s and O’s:

Providence Bruins vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1/12/18

The Providence Bruins looked poised to erase their recent string of bad starts with a goal early in the first period from Peter Cehlarik. Two minutes in, Sena Acolatse made a smart pinch up the right wing boards, bumping the puck above the goal line to Ryan Fitzgerald camped out behind the Bridgeport cage. Cehlarik maneuvered into the slot, and took a perfect feed from Fitzgerald (still behind the net) and fired the puck by Christopher Gibbons glove side high. For the next 8 minutes, the Bruins skated like a team possessed. They racked up 7 shots on goal, and held Bridgeport to only 1. However, the period would end tied, as Justin Hickman took a cross checking penalty. The Sound Tigers went on the powerplay, and after Providence failed to convert on a shorthanded 2-on-1, Bridgeport was rewarded with a 2-on-1 the other way. Jordan Binnington stopped the initial shot, but the juicy rebound at the faceoff dot was finished off by the Sound Tigers’ Steve Bernier. In the second, Bridgeport broke the 1-1 tie: From a sharp angle between the faceoff dot and the right wing boards, the Sound Tigers’ Kyle Burroughs threw a lobbed shot toward the Providence goal that snuck past Jordan Binnington for the 2-1 lead around the 4 minute mark. Less than a full minute later, the Bruins responded to even the score. Providence Captain Tommyy Cross held the puck in at the Bridgeport blue line, and fed his D partner Jakub Zboril who shoveled a short pass over to Kenny Agostino. The latter’s shot rebounded enough for Jordan Szwarz to pick up the loose change, dance around Gibson, and roof a backhand shot to tie the game at 2 apiece. The teams traded chances through the remainder of the second and into the third, however Bridgeport had begun slightly overpowering the Bruins sometime in that span. As the game looked like it was headed to overtime, the pressure from Bridgeport finally broke the tie. Around two minutes remaining in the third, the Sound Tigers won a faceoff in the neutral zone and entered the Providence end of the ice. After working the puck around the perimeter, the Sound Tigers’ Casey Bailey whipped the puck from out by the boards at the goal line, for a seemingly terrible sharp angle shot that snuck through Binnington and put Bridgeport ahead by 1 goal. Despite a strong offensive push during the dying minutes of the game, the Bruins came up short and lost in regulation.

Providence Bruins @ Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1/13/18

In a low scoring, low event game, Providence dropped its third game in a row but managed to salvage a point. In his 23rd start of the 2017-2018 season, Zane McIntyre did not suffer a goal against until 6:44 of the 2nd period. After clearing their own zone, Patrick Cullity fed Josh Ho-Sang, who sprung Connor Jones. The latter had snuck around the Providence defense who were in the middle of a seemingly slow change. Jones came in on McIntyre’s blocker side and wound up for a full slap shot that rose over McIntyre’s glove side and broke the score open. Providence couldn’t muster one past Chris Gibson until late in the third period. With 3 minutes remaining in the third, Providence had mounted some zone time and hemmed Bridgeport in. Jakub Zboril held the puck in by the right wing boards at the blue line, then fed Colby Cave. He shoveled the puck to Zach Senyshyn by the side of the net. Senyshyn took the initial shot, but Ryan Fitzgerald wisely redirected the puck past Gibson to tie the score. Despite powerplays during overtime for both clubs, the game went to a shootout where Bridgeport edged the Bruins.

Providence Bruins vs. Springfield Thunderbirds 1/14/18

Providence suffered its fourth straight loss at the hands of divisional opponent Springfield Thunderbirds in the final game of this third-in-three weekend. Providence held the Thunderbirds off the shot counter for the first 10 minutes, failing to convert any of their own shots on goal in that time. Springfield finally opened the score with 2 and a half minutes remaining in the first, setting off a minor goal frenzy for both teams. Chase Balisey fed a backhand pass to Ed Wittchow in the low slot area; the latter wristed the puck into the back of the net. Colton Hargove tallied his 9th goal of the season, tying the score less than a minute later. Hargrove stole the puck at the Springfield blue line as the play was coming out of the Springfield end, and snuck behind the defense, beating Springfield goalie Evan Cowley one-on-one. Less than a minute after that, Ludwig Bystrom was whistled for holding and the Bruins went on the powerplay. Austin Czarnik and Tommy Cross worked the passing lanes until feeding it to Kenny Agostino who fired a laser guided slap-shot that went off the inside of the goalpost and in. Despite carrying a lead into the first intermission, the Bruins hopes to end their skid were dashed in the second period. Juho Lammiko beat Binnington cleanly at 11:06 into the 2nd, followed by a strange sharp angle shot at 14:25 that somehow snuck by the netminder in much the same fashion as they did Friday night against Bridgeport. Leach opted to pull Binnington, who had given up 3 goals on only 19 shots after the 3rd goal was scored. Zane McIntyre came in relief, but the bleeding didn’t stop as at 15:40, Springfield scored its 4th goal in a row: a juicy rebound left in front of McIntyre’s net. Despite that, McIntyre looked good, stopping the remaining 12 shots on net through the third. Providence could not solve the Thunderbirds in the neutral zone cleanly throughout the game, and a late empty-net goal iced the win for Springfield.

Plus / Minus

Plus: + Jakub Zboril continues improving and impressing, collecting an assist Friday night, and making a critical play at the end of regulation Saturday night to help tie the score. Providence would have lost in regulation if not for his quick thinking.

+ Peter Cehlarik continues to score despite coming back from a scary injury.

+ Zane McIntyre had his best 4 periods of work this weekend, only allowing 2 goals on 32 shots total.

+ Providence’s usually unremarkable powerplay scored on Sunday making it two weekends in a row with a PPG.

Minus: – Chris Breen and Matt Beleskey were both injured Friday. Breen was cut in the thigh by a skate, and Beleskey had a frightening puck to the face that broke his orbital bone. Beleskey may resume skating later this week, and there is no timetable yet for Breen’s return.

– This has been the worst weekend of the season for Providence, with one of a possible six points earned. They have dropped to third in the Atlantic behind a resurging Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins team on a steady incline.

– Providence outshot opponents in games this weekend yet still lost. Seem to have the same problem the NHL Bruins did before February of 2017.