
The Providence Bruins split two games last week as their season hits the home stretch.
The P-Bruins scored late to beat Bridgeport, 2-1, on April 5, then were soundly beaten, 6-1, in Hartford on Saturday.
Coach Jay Leach wasn’t happy after his team’s most lopsided loss of the season.
“The second and third (periods) were a real concern. Not a lot of juice there for us — partly, I’m sure, because of the way that Hartford was playing, but also really because our willingness to play inside, block some shots and win a couple of battles was simply nonexistent for the last two periods,’’ he said.
“It was clearly a case of two teams that were playing polar opposites of one another. One was all-in and our group was not.’’
Here’s the good, bad and ugly.
GOOD
— Kyle Keyser was sharp in making 26 saves in the win over the Sound Tigers.
— Rookie Eduards Tralmaks scored his first goal as a pro against Bridgeport. After winning a puck battle on the boards, he went to the front of the net and shoveled a rebound over the goal line.
— Sammy Asselin’s plus-10 leads the team. Tommy Cross, who scored the P-Bruins’ only goal in Hartford, is second with plus-9.
— Brady Lyle scored his second game-winner against Bridgeport. He is tied for second among rookie defensemen with five goals.
— Providence finally faces a team other than Bridgeport and Hartford when the Utica Comets travel to Marlboro on Friday.
BAD
— Cameron Hughes got hit in the mouth by a clearing pass by Hartford goalie Adam Huska in the first minute of the second period. He left the game but later returned wearing a fishbowl. He spent some time in the dentist’s chair on Monday. He has had terrible luck since arriving in Providence when it come to getting hit in the face.
— Keyser was beaten by a bad-angle shot by Anthony Greco of the Wolf Pack on Saturday.
— It was a tough day for the defense pair of Nick Wolff and Joel Messner on Saturday. Both were on the ice for three goals against.
UGLY
— Providence’s penalty kill struggled on Saturday, giving up three goals on Hartford’s five power plays.
— Injured: Josiah Didier, Brendan Woods