Springfield is offside entering the offensive zone seconds before scoring in overtime to win Game Three.

After a historic regular season, the heavily favored Providence Bruins crashed and burned in the playoffs, losing to the Springfield Thunderbirds, three games to one, in the Atlantic Division semifinals.

What was expected to be an exciting postseason run was over before it started. It was the most disappointing end to a season in franchise history.

In Game Three on Tuesday in Springfield, Providence lost, 3-2, in overtime on a goal that was clearly offside. The linesman blew the call, plain and simple, but there is no review of offside in the AHL, so the goal stood.   

For the league, it was the most embarrassing outcome in recent history.

In Game Four on Thursday, Springfield clinched the series with a 1-0 overtime win.

And just like that, Providence’s season was over.

Full credit to Thunderbirds coach Steve Ott, captain Chris Wagner, goalie Georgi Romanov and the rest of the roster. Springfield was the better team.

Providence looked nothing like the team that rolled to an AHL-best 54-16-2 record in the regular season.

“It’s obviously disappointing. I’m more disappointed for the players. I know they wanted ultimately to have success, but at the end of the day we just didn’t execute,” said coach Ryan Mougenel.

“Losing a couple of the guys on the back end (Christian Wolanin and Victor Soderstrom) hurt our puck-moving abilities. We just couldn’t get out of our own end. That was an issue.

“But (Springfield) played really well. They played us harder. I take responsibility. As somebody that leads the group, it’s important to understand the desperation. I just don’t know if it was there,” he said.

Regarding the blown offside in the third game, “How we lost was obviously tough to swallow, for sure,” said Mougenel.

“The guys worked. It was a great group (this season). We just didn’t get it done.”

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— After putting up a .930 save percentage in the regular season, Michael DiPietro posted a .931 save percentage in the playoffs.

— Matt Poitras led the team in scoring with 1-3-4 in four games.

BAD

— Providence scored only six goals in the four games. Hard to win that way.

— After going 9-2 in overtime in the regular season, the P-Bruins lost both OT games in the Springfield series.

— Despite what happened at the end of Game Three, you can’t use bad officiating as an excuse for losing. Having said that, the players and fans deserve much, much better than they got from the officials in this series.

— In hindsight, Providence didn’t have the depth for a playoff run. They used two ECHL players on PTOs against the Thunderbirds.

UGLY

— Losing a playoff series to a team that you finished 38 points ahead of in the regular season is as ugly as it gets.

— Injured: Christian Wolanin, Victor Soderstrom, Dans Locmelis

Mike DiPietro stops Chris Wagner on a breakaway in Sunday’s game. DiPietro stopped 27 of 28 shots, including 14 in the third period. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

The Providence Bruins split the first two games of their best-of-five Atlantic Division semifinal series against the Springfield Thunderbirds at home over the weekend.

After earning a first-round bye in the regular season, Providence waited13 days until the series with Springfield opened.

Looking sluggish at times, the P-Bruins dropped Game 1, 3-2, on Friday night. In the second game on Sunday, Providence beat the T-Birds, 2-1, to even the series at 1-1.

“Our urgency was there from the get-go,” said coach Ryan Mougenel after Sunday’s win. “I’m proud of how the guys responded. Playoffs aren’t easy. There’s good lessons for our guys. There’s no easy ice out there.”

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— As he has been all season, AHL MVP and two-time Goalie of the Year Michael DiPietro was a difference-maker in Game 2. He stopped 27 of 28 shots, including all 14 in the third period, when the T-Birds had some good chances.  

— Frederic Brunet turned in a strong game on Sunday with primary assists on both Providence goals.

— Matej Blumel scored a goal in Game 1 and opened the scoring in Game 2.

— Matt Poitras earned primary assists on both Providence goals and played a feisty game on Sunday.

— Playing his first game after joining the team last week on a PTO, Drew Callin scored just 3:12 into Game 1.

— Navrin Mutter dished out several hard hits on the forecheck early in Game 2, helping the P-Bruins get off to a good start.   

BAD

— If Christian Wolanin is not able to play on Tuesday, the P-Bruins will be without two top defensemen in Wolanin and Victor Soderstrom, both of whom log power play time.

— The officiating in the first two games was … uneven.

“The penalties really killed the mojo, for both sides,” Mougenel said after Game 2. “It was interesting, the standard was different from (Game 1).”

— Springfield had 13 power plays in the first two games. Providence had nine.

UGLY

— Injured: Christian Wolanin, Victor Soderstrom, Fabian Lysell, Dans Locmelis