BUFFALO – The Boston Bruins rookies erased a four-goal deficit before losing, 6-4, to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Prospects Challenge on Saturday.

For the second day in a row, the Bruins dug a hole and then rallied. Down by four in the second period, they got goals from Ryan Humphrey (2), Curtis Hall and Johnny Beecher and tied the game in the third period before the Penguins pulled away with two more scores.

Five of Pittsburgh’s six goals came on the power play.

Here are three quick hits from the game:

MATTHEW POITRAS

Poitras, Boston’s second round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, was slotted in as the third-line center when the line charts came out a couple of hours before the game.

But as puck drop approached, he was moved up to the first line between Georgii Merkulov and Fabian Lysell.

The idea, according to assistant general manager Evan Gold, was to get a look at Poitras with skilled players on his wings.

While Poitras’ line didn’t produce any points, they did create chances. Poitras, 18, a shifty center with a high hockey IQ, was around the puck all afternoon.

He set up Lysell for some good opportunities and nearly had a goal himself in the third period, but was robbed by Taylor Gauthier in the Pens’ net.

“It feels good to be playing on the first line with Merk and Fabs, great players,” he said.

“I thought we jelled pretty well, probably should have had a few goals. I know I missed a tap-in, but it’s going to come. I thought we played well. Those two guys are so skilled it creates a lot of space for me and kind of allows me to do my thing.”

He had 21-29-50 in 68 games with Guelph last year. He’ll return to the OHL this season.

“He sees a lot of plays. He makes a lot of plays. He’s got a little subtleness to his game. I like him and Lysell together, for sure. They made some nice plays, those two,” said Bruins coach Ryan Mougenel.

JOHNNY BEECHER

Beecher scored a goal for the second straight game, banging the puck home from in tight after Luke Toporowski’s blast hit the post. That knotted the game at four.

He lost 10-15 pounds over the summer and he believes it’s helped his game.

“It feels good. I think I’m getting up and down the ice much faster for the entire game. My legs aren’t as tired by the end of the third period. I think my speed and the consistency of being able to get up and down is huge for me, especially with speed being my biggest asset,” he said.

“I’m really comfortable at 215 (pounds). It’s plenty of weight for physicality. We’ll see how it is coming down the stretch for my first pro season, but as of right now I love where I’m at.”

Moungenel sees a difference from last spring.

“He can sustain a lot more than he could when we first got him in Providence at the end of the season,” he said.

“We were really banged up at the time and he was playing a ton of minutes, so it was not really a fair assessment. But now I can see the difference in him on the bench, he’s ready to go. He’s going to play minutes for us, important minutes on the PK.

“There’s things in his game that I like. I like that he’s finding ways to score. I’ve talked about that, too. He’s got to find different ways to score, it can’t just be with his feet all the time. Use his shot, tips, wraps.

“A little bit more Joe Pavelski-ish. If you can blend the two, where you have an IQ for the net, you have a plan, you have a template, I think he’s a guy that can manufacture offense that way.”

RYAN HUMPHREY

A last-minute invite to rookie camp after 2021 third-rounder Brett Harrison of Oshawa was injured, the undrafted Humphrey was all over the scoresheet with a pair of goals and 12 penalty minutes.

A native of Michigan who played for Victory Honda and Honeybaked while growing up, Humphrey skated for the U.S. in the U-17 Five Nations Tournament in 2019. He had 25-37-62 with 82 PIMs in 68 games with Hamilton of the OHL last season.

“I feel like I’m a hard-nosed, gritty guy with a touch of skill. I can bury my opportunities if I get them, but I’m willing to do whatever I can for the team and play my heart out for the guys,” he said.

Both of his goals were scored from close range, the first on a redirect of a shot by Jacob Wilson.

“Anywhere by the net, I feel comfy scoring from in tight,” he said.

With about 14 minutes left, Humphrey was assessed 12 minutes in penalties — a minor for slashing and a misconduct. Inexplicably, he was sent to the dressing room even though he should have been eligible to return for the final two minutes of the game.

“The faceoff before, I got high-sticked” in the mouth with no call, he said. In response, “I just went over with maybe a little hard chop on the guy’s laces. (The referee) said he didn’t want me starting anything and gave me the boot.”

Mougenel liked what he saw from Humphrey.

“I loved him and J.D. Greenway together. I thought they did a real good job. He’s a fiery guy. He’s from Detroit, kind of showed it tonight that he’s got some grit. He was on the short end of that call,” he said.

Undrafted the last time around, the 19-year-old winger is eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Johnny Beecher: “It was heaven on earth in my eyes, the University of Michigan. I cherish every second I spent there, but I’m excited for this new journey. To put the books down for a little bit is definitely great but hopefully I can get back eventually and try and finish up my degree (in sports management).”

BUFFALO – It was an encouraging day for the Bruins youngsters on Friday as they bounced back after a sluggish start to win their opening game at the Prospects Challenge.

Boston trailed 2-0 and 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators in the first period but rallied for a 5-4 win.

Luke Toporowski led the attack with two goals, Marc McLaughlin recorded a goal and an assist, Fabian Lysell scored a goal and Johnny Beecher set up a goal and potted the winner with under three minutes left in the game, turning a defender and depositing the puck in the net.

Here are three quick hits from the game:

FABIAN LYSELL

The most dynamic Bruins prospect used linemate Jakub Lauko as a decoy on a two-on-one before wiring the puck past Sens’ goalie Mads Sogaard for a goal in the second period.

Impressive, too, was the play he made in the defensive zone late in the game. With an extra attacker on for the Senators, Lysell won a battle with the much bigger Jake Sanderson along the boards and muscled the puck out of the zone.

“He’s a player that, when he touches the puck, you get excited. I’m no different than anybody else watching him. There’s things in his game I love. I loved his second effort to get the puck out with the goalie pulled. I thought that said a lot about the kid,” said Bruins coach Ryan Mougenel.

“He’s a special kid, he’s fun to be around, I really enjoy him. He’s got things in his game that probably, like all of us, have to get better at the next level. This is what it’s about, the process, for him, taking it day by day.’’

LUKE TOPOROWSKI

Toporowski’s father, Kerry, put up 505 penalty minutes for Spokane of the WHL in 1990-91.

Luke’s game is offense. The 21-year-old left winger averaged a point-per-game in his last two seasons of junior hockey, with Spokane and Kamloops last year and Sioux Falls of the USHL in the COVID year of 2020-21.

His flair for scoring was on display against the Senators. He was in perfect position to bury the rebound of a Marc McLaughlin shot in the first period and he ripped home a one-timer from distance in the third period, tying the game at four.

Toporowski signed a two-year AHL deal with Providence earlier this year.

A native of Iowa, he was regarded as a very good prospect while playing as a youngster for Chicago Mission. He signed with Spokane of the Dub, where his father and brother played, at age 15.

“I went on a couple of (college) visits but Spokane was always the team I wanted to play for,’’ he said.

He didn’t let being passed over in the draft hold him back.

“When it first happened and I didn’t get drafted I was a little bummed, but I think that motivates you even more and I think that will stick with me and will be something I’ll always have in the back of my head,” he said.

Mougenel likes what he’s seen from Toporowski.

“He’s a hockey player. He’s a guy that likes to play on the inside. He’s not afraid of it and he doesn’t really need a second chance to score. He’s shoot first. There’s not a lot of rebounds with him, he seems to find the back of the net. He really impressed me a lot (on Friday). He impressed me a lot in development camp, too. Some of those competitive traits really showed up with him early on,’’ he said.

JOEY ABATE

Abate signed an AHL deal with Providence out of Omaha of the NCHC last spring. He brought with him a reputation as guy who gets under the skin of opponents. He played to that identify on Friday.

The 6-foot-2 winger finished his checks and dished out a steady stream of chirps, even after the final buzzer. Earlier, when a Senator plowed Matthew Poitras of the Bruins into the boards, Abate immediately responded by knocking down an Ottawa player well after the whistle.

“I loved the juice that he brought,’’ said Mougenel. “It’s something that we need in Providence is some abrasiveness in a guy that can play. I think that’s important. I turned to Marc McLaughlin on the bench and said, ‘I know why you fought him (in the USHL).’ He would have annoyed me as well.

“I’ve been very transparent with Joey, what he needs to do to find minutes with the team. That’s how he’s got to play. Be an irritant, kill penalties and provide a value where you can be on the ice and not be a liability. He did everything I expected, came as advertised.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Luke Toporowski on former WHL opponent Fabian Lysell:

“Me and him had lots of battles. We went at it a lot with words and on the ice. We hated each other, essentially. He’s a great player. He plays with so much tenacity and then you see his skill take over. I think that’s what separates him from everybody else.

“Now we’re teammates and we’re getting along and we’re buddies. I’m happy to be on this side of the bench with him.”

After winning five in a row, the Providence Bruins fell hard over the weekend.

They beat last-place Lehigh Valley in overtime, 5-4, at home on Tuesday before crashing. They lost to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 4-1, on Friday and to Charlotte, 2-1, on Saturday at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, and dropped a 4-0 decision at Springfield on Sunday.

Simply put, the bottom fell out of Providence’s offense over the last three games. With a total of 44 goals on the injured list – Jesper Froden (16), Cameron Hughes (14) and Eduards Tralmakes (14) – the P-Bruins were able to score only twice in 180 minutes from Friday to Sunday. That’s not a formula for success.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Johnny Beecher had a night to remember in the win against Lehigh Valley. The rookie center scored his first two goals as a pro, including the OT winner, and was credited with an assist. He has 2-2-4 in six games.

— Back from Boston, Troy Grosenick deserved a better fate on Saturday. He allowed only one goal (the second goal was an empty netter) and was spectacular in kicking out 45 shots. He continues to lead the AHL with a .933 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average.

— Rookie Georgii Merkulov potted his first goal as a pro on Tuesday and had a nice assist on a power-play goal by Justin Brazeau on Friday. He has 1-3-4 in five games.

— After playing sparingly with Boston, Jack Studnicka scored Providence’s only goal on Saturday. He had a game-high eight shots in that game and six more on Sunday.

— Alex-Olivier Voyer, who was briefly in the hospital with an infection early in the week, stepped up during Sunday’s loss in Springfield. With his team spinning its wheels, he tried to provide a spark by fighting Springfield’s Tyler Tucker. It didn’t work, but Voyer won the fight.

BAD

— A stretch of 12 games in 24 days so far in April took a toll. Providence didn’t have anything left in the tank in Springfield. They fell behind early and had a difficult time generating good chances.

— Uncharacteristically, the P-Bruins allowed 41 shots against the Penguins on Friday and 47 against the Checkers on Saturday.

— Oskar Steen has one goal in his last 21 games.

— No goals in his last 37 games for Jakub Lauko.

— Curtis Hall hasn’t scored in 28 games.

— It was a rough day for the defense pair of Tyler Lewington and Mike Callahan in Springfield. They were on the ice for three of the four goals by the Thunderbirds.

UGLY

— The P-Bruins have scored one goal in their last eight-plus periods.

— Injured: Cameron Hughes, Eduards Tralmaks, Nick Wolff, Aaron Ness, Georgii Merkulov (sick)

The Providence Bruins were missing starting goalie Troy Grosenick and backup Kyle Keyser. Top defenseman Jack Ahcan was on recall with Boston, as was third-leading scorer Jesper Froden. Cameron Hughes, who leads the team in points, was out with an injury.

Didn’t matter.

The P-Bruins received a lift from new additions to the roster, swept both games in Pennsylvania over the weekend and moved back into first place in the Atlantic Division.

With Brandon Bussi making his pro debut in goal, Providence beat Lehigh Valley in a shootout, 3-2, on Saturday night. Less than 24 hours later, they edged Hershey, 2-0, as Bussi registered his first shutout.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Brandon Bussi was the star of the weekend. In his first start on Saturday, the rookie goalie from Western Michigan was tremendous in overtime and stuffed all three Lehigh Valley shooters in the 3-2 shootout win. On Sunday, he stopped all 26 Hershey shots in the 1-0 victory.

— Ohio State free agent Georgii Merkulov had a first game to remember against Lehigh Valley. He set up goals by Chris Wagner and Joona Koppanen with perfect passes, then he scored the winner in the shootout.

— The penalty killers – Josiah Didier, Aaron Ness, Chris Wagner – were brilliant in overtime on Saturday, setting the stage for the shootout win.

— Rookie Michael Callahan moved in from the blue line to bury a rebound for his first goal as a pro in Hershey and it was the game-winner.

— Chris Wagner continues to play very good two-way hockey and he tied a career high with his 15^th goal against Lehigh Valley.

— Goals are still hard to come by for Jakub Lauko, but he registered an assist in both games over the weekend, including the primary helper on Mike Callahan’s goal.

— First-rounder Johnny Beecher didn’t have any points, but he played two solid games in his first weekend as a pro. He used his speed, held his own on faceoffs and had four shots on Saturday and two more on Sunday.

— Providence is 7-1-1 in Pennsylvania (Hershey, Lehigh Valley, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) so far this season. On the road and at home, they’ve shut out Hershey four times.

— Not that it was ever in doubt, but the P-Bruins clinched a playoff spot on Friday night. They’ve missed the playoffs only five times since the franchise opened for business in 1992-93.

— By the end of the day on Sunday, Providence was first in the Atlantic Division with a points percentage of .615. Charlotte and Springfield were second at .614. 

BAD

— The P-Bruins took a too-many-men penalty in overtime on Saturday night.

— Starting Tuesday, they close the regular season with a demanding stretch of seven games in 12 days.

UGLY

— Injured/sick: Cameron Hughes, Tyler Lewington, Eduards Tralmaks, Kyle Keyser, Victor Berglund

The Providence Bruins are two points away from clinching their eighth straight playoff slot after taking four of six points from Friday to Monday.

The P-Bruins started with a tough 3-2 loss at Bridgeport on Friday night. They bounced back with a dominating 6-2 victory at home against the Islanders on Saturday night. Then they gutted out a 2-1 win at home on Monday against Lehigh Valley.

At the end of the night on Monday, Providence was in third place in the Atlantic Division with a points percentage of .603, trailing Charlotte (.619) and Springfield (.612).

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Troy Grosenick continues to be Providence’s most valuable player. He leads the AHL with a .931 save percentage and a 2.02 goals-against average.

— With the P-Bruins struggling to score, Jesper Froden came up with big plays, scoring twice on Saturday night and setting up Aaron Ness’ goal that tied the game on Monday. Froden is up to 16 goals.

— One of Victor Berglund’s strong suits is his ability to get his shot through from the point. He scored his sixth of the season on the power play with a drive from downtown on Monday. It turned out to the game-winner.

— Eduards Tralmaks had a goal and an assist in both games against Bridgeport. With 14 goals on 58 shots, his shooting percentage of 24.1 is fifth in the league.

— Justin Brazeau had two assists on Saturday night. Steven Fogarty recorded a pair of assists on Saturday and another one on Monday. Oskar Steen had one helper on Saturday and two on Monday.

— Josiah Didier scored his first goal of the season on Saturday night.

— Mike Callahan was credited with his first point as a pro when he assisted on Alex-Olivier Voyer’s goal on Saturday.

— After sitting out a game as a healthy scratch, Sammy Asselin bounced back with a two-assist game in Bridgeport.

— Providence allowed only one shot while killing a four-minute penalty early against Lehigh Valley. They went on to kill all six penalties in the game.

— After Andy Andreoff hacked Troy Grosenick on Friday night, Nick Wolff jumped in and engaged in a good scrap with the tough Bridgeport winger.

BAD

— In the last minute of Friday night’s game, one linesman signaled a Bridgeport icing but the other one waved it off. Seconds later, Providence had a defensive zone meltdown that left Chris Terry wide open to bury the game-winner with 25 seconds left.

— After Lehigh Valley pulled its goalie late in Monday’s game, the P-Bruins missed two cracks at the empty net.

UGLY

— Injured: Joona Koppanen, Cameron Hughes, Tyler Lewington, Curtis Hall

 You could hardly blame the Providence Bruins for breathing a sigh of relief Monday night after a 4-3 overtime win against the Hartford Wolf Pack.

They needed a victory in the worst way to salvage a weekend at home that saw them lose in OT to the Springfield Thunderbirds, 1-0, on Friday and lose to the Syracuse Crunch, 4-1, on Sunday.

Providence had a win in regulation time within reach against Hartford, but gave up a goal with 2:36 left that forced extra time. To their credit, they quickly reset and were rewarded when Steven Fogarty scored the game-winner just 45 seconds into OT.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Joona Koppanen continues to have a breakthrough season. With 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 56 games, he’s equaled his offensive output from his first four seasons combined (16-12-28 in 119 games). He combined with Chris Wagner and Nick Wolff to score a pretty shorthanded goal and set up Matt Filipe’s goal against Hartford. Koppanen, who has developed into a standout defensive center, leads the team with plus-23.

— Jesper Froden scored Providence’s only goal on Sunday and scored a big power-play goal to tie Monday night’s game.

— Steven Fogarty had a strong game against Hartford, setting up a goal and burying the winner in OT.

— Kyle Keyser stopped Syracuse’s Anthony Richard on a penalty shot on Sunday.

— Providence is second in the league on the penalty kill at 84.5 percent. Cam Hughes, Chris Wagner and Joona Koppanen have been standouts on the PK.

BAD

— The P-Bruins have slid to third place in the extremely tight Atlantic Division race with a .600 points percentage. With 12 games left in the regular season, they trail Springfield (.633) and Charlotte (.609).

— The P-Bruins were in a 2-6-3 slide – seven of a possible 22 points — before pulling out Monday night’s OT win. They are winless in their last four games on the road.

— A tough turnover by Nick Wolff opened the door for Hartford’s first goal on Monday.

— Sure looked to me like the officials got the too-many-men call against Providence wrong on Sunday.

— When two Syracuse players collided and Providence broke in on a 5 on 2, Oskar Steen had most of the net to shoot at, but he pulled his shot wide.

UGLY

— Goals have been hard to come by lately – just 11 in 9 games before Monday. The departure of 19-goal scorer Zach Senyshyn in a trade and the recall of Jack Studnicka to Boston have put a dent in Providence’s offense.

The Providence Bruins snapped out of a slump and earned four out of six points at home over the weekend.

On Friday, Providence was outshot, 28-18, but beat Hershey, 2-0. The P-Bruins edged Springfield, 3-2, on Saturday on a late power play goal by Victor Berglund. On Sunday afternoon, Providence lost to Utica, the first-place team in the North Division, 4-1.

After briefly taking over first place with Saturday night’s win, the P-Bruins finished the weekend in second place in the Atlantic Division.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— The 664-Pound Line — Eduards Tralmaks (209), Joona Koppanen (210) and Justin Brazeau (245) – made an impact all weekend. Koppanen and Brazeau assisted on Tyler Lewington’s game-winner on Friday; Brazeau scored off the rush on a well-executed play with his linemates on Saturday; and Brazeau made a nifty pass from behind the net to Tralmaks for Providence’s only goal on Sunday. They are the team’s leaders in plus-minus. Koppanen is plus-21; Tralmaks is plus-20; and Brazeau is plus-14.

— Saturday’s game, a tight contest between two very good teams, was one of the best of the season. Cameron Hughes was a standout all over the ice. His diving clear during a Springfield 5 on 3 in the first period epitomizes his all-out effort, night in and night out.

— Special teams were strong in Saturday night’s win. The P-Bruins scored twice with the man advantage and held the Thunderbirds’ skilled power play off the board.

— Kyle Keyser stopped 24 shots to beat Springfield. He made a key save on a Nikita Alexandrov breakaway in the second period with Providence trailing by a goal.

— Troy Grosenick continues to lead the league with a .930 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average.

— Providence has won three straight against Hershey at The Dunk while outscoring the Bears, 11-1.

— New arrival Kodie Curran is known more for his offensive skills than his physical play, but he decked 6-foot-5, 220-pound Brett Leason of Hershey with a big hit late in Friday’s game.

— Chris Wagner, who continues to play excellent two-way hockey, absolutely punished Beck Malenstyn of the Bears with a check in front of the P-Bruins bench.

— After missing just over two months with a leg injury, Nick Wolff made his presence known with a fight against Utica’s Samuel Laberge in the first period on Sunday.

BAD

— Tough turnover for Tyler Lewington on Saturday. He fanned on a pass in the first minute of the second period, the puck went to Will Bitten and he put it on the stick of Sam Anas for an easy Springfield goal.

— Jakub Lauko has gone 25 games without a goal.

— Oskar Steen has one assist and is minus-10 in his last 9 games.

— Providence played its third game in three days on Sunday, while Utica was well-rested after having Saturday night off.

— The P-Bruins recorded a season-high 47 shots on Sunday, but scored only once.

UGLY

— Injured: Jesper Froden

The Providence Bruins have hit a rough patch. After a torrid stretch in which they won nine out of ten, they’ve gone cold, dropping six games in a row.

Playing without Jack Studnicka and Jack Ahcan, they did earn three points in three road games against the Charlotte Checkers from Thursday to Sunday, losing in a shootout in each game. They lost, 2-1, on Thursday; 3-2 on Saturday; and 2-1 on Sunday.

Those three points allowed the P-Bruins to hold onto second place in the Atlantic Division with a points percentage of .602. They are just behind first-place Springfield (.612) and just ahead of third-place Charlotte (.600).

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— The P-Bruins received tremendous goaltending in Charlotte. Troy Grosenick, returning from injury, stopped 52 of 55 shots on Thursday and Saturday. Kyle Keyser kicked out 37 of 38 shots on Sunday. They combined for a .957 save percentage and 1.23 goals-against average.

— Troy Grosenick leads the AHL in save percentage (.926) and goals-against average (2.08).

— Chris Wagner scored a goal and had 12 shots on goal on Saturday.

— They posted 19 shots on net in the first period on both Thursday and Saturday.

— Zach Senyshyn buried his team-leading 19^th goal on Saturday.

— They are fifth in the league with a points percentage of .581 on the road.

— Providence’s next six games and 14 of their final 19 are at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

BAD

— Goals have been hard to come by. They scored four goals in three games in North Carolina and have scored nine goals in the last six games.

— The referees had to look very hard to find that slash by Jakub Lauko in the third period on Sunday. Very tough call to make with three minutes left in a tie game.

— The power play went 1 for 13 on the trip.

— The P-Bruins went a combined 3 for 11 in the three shootouts.

— They outshot the Checkers, 6-0, in overtime on Saturday, but couldn’t score.

UGLY

— Injured: Nick Wolff, Victor Berglund

After winning nine of ten games, the Providence Bruins fell back to earth over the last week.

After coming from behind in the third period for a workmanlike 3-1 win in Toronto on Tuesday, the P-Bruins lost in Belleville on Wednesday, 4-1, then dropped a pair at home to Bridgeport, 7-4, on Saturday and 3-0 on Sunday.

Their best defenseman, Jack Ahcan, is on recall to Boston and their top goalie, Troy Grosenick is out with an injury. The P-Bruins were due to lose a few games after their torrid winning stretch and the absence of Ahcan and Grosenick didn’t help.

Springfield leapfrogged Providence and took over first place in the Atlantic Division with a points percentage of .627 as of the end of the day on Sunday. The P-Bruins are second at .608, followed by Hartford (.587) and Charlotte (.579).

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Despite Saturday’s night loss, there were some offensive bright lights. Cameron Hughes had a goal and two assists, Jack Studnicka recorded three assists and Victor Berglund had a goal and an assist.

— After Oskar Steen was buried from behind by Bridgeport’s Seth Helgeson, who was penalized for boarding on Sunday, Tyler Lewington stood up for his teammate by going right at Helgeson as soon as he got out of the box and fighting him.

— Providence limited Toronto to only 15 shots on goal.

— Zach Senyshyn scored twice against the Marlies. His career-high 18 goals continues to lead the team.

BAD

— The P-Bruins were outshot, 20-5, and gave up three goals in the third period of the loss in Belleville.

— On Saturday, Kyle Keyser allowed six goals on 29 shots before getting the hook after two periods. Things started to go south when defensive defenseman Helgeson beat Keyser through the five-hole with a wrister with 30 seconds left in the first period.

— There was plenty of blame to go around on Saturday night. Turnovers by Tyler Lewington and Jack Studnicka led to a pair of Bridgeport goals in the second period.

UGLY

— The second period of Saturday’s game wasn’t just bad. It was – pick your adjective – ugly, hideous, grotesque.

The P-Bruins gave up four goals in 1:58. They were outshot, 14-4.

There probably have been worse two-minute stretches in the team’s 30-year history, but none come to mind.

— Injured: Troy Grosenick, John Moore, Nick Wolff, Matt Filipe, Blake Hillman

The good times continue to roll for the Providence Bruins.

They won all three of their games over the last week and in the process took over first place in the Atlantic Division.

On the road on Wednesday, the P-Bruins trailed Lehigh Valley 29 minutes into the game, but scored three straight and went home with a 5-3 win. Before a sellout crowd in Springfield on Saturday, Providence rolled to a 5-1 victory over the Thunderbirds and jumped into first place. Back home on Sunday, Providence pulled out a 5-4 win in overtime against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

“It shows when guys care. You see (Victor) Berglund block a huge shot there at the end. I don’t know if three months ago I would have been saying that. It’s starting to get to be part of these guys’ DNA,” said Mougenel after Sunday’s game. “We celebrate the little things here and I think it’s translating into wins.”

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— The P-Bruins have won four in a row and eight of 10.

— Cameron Hughes is playing tremendous hockey. He scored twice on Sunday and has 6-10-16 in the last 10 games.

— Kyle Keyser came on in relief of the injured Troy Grosenick against Lehigh Valley and stopped 12 of 14 shots to secure the win. He stopped 26 of 27 shots in Springfield and he bent but didn’t break in kicking out 33 shots in Sunday’s win against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He stuffed Drew O’Connor of the Pens twice on breakaways.

— Jack Studnicka was on fire in Springfield with 1-3-4. He has now scored a goal in five straight games at MassMutual Center. He’s played 10 career games in Springfield and has 9-2-11. He scored a goal in Sunday’s win, too.

— The defense pair of Victor Berglund and Brady Lyle put up impressive numbers on Sunday. Berglund had a goal and an assist. Lyle recorded two assists. Both were plus-4.

— Steven Fogarty scored a goal and two helpers against the Phantoms.

— Chris Wagner scored twice on Saturday night, including the game-winner, and was named first star.

— Oskar Steen won Sunday’s game in overtime with a terrific individual rush. He had 2-2-4 in the three games.

— Zach Senyshyn scored his 15^th and 16^th goal against Lehigh Valley.

— In his first fight of the season Sunday, J.D. Greenway pummeled Drew O’Connor of the Pens.

— Fifteen of Providence’s 25 remaining games are at home.

BAD

— Inexplicably, referees Patrick Hanrahan and Mason Riley didn’t call penalties on two blatant collisions in the crease involving Troy Grosenick and Kyle Keyser on Wednesday night in Allentown. Grosenick had to leave the game 3:41 into the second period when he was bowled over in the blue paint. Keyser was kicked in the head a few minutes into the third period. Both times Lehigh Valley forwards barged into the crease and made contact without any help from Providence defenders.

— In the same game, the misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct on Jack Studnicka after a scrum late in the second period was a head-scratcher. Two players exchange words in a scrum and one of them goes to the box for 10 minutes? Questionable.

— After being outshot 10-1 in the third period on Sunday, the P-Bruins gave up the tying goal with three seconds left in regulation time.

UGLY

— Troy Grosenick, John Moore, Nick Wolff, Matt Filipe

— Lehigh Valley’s Hayden Hodgson was suspended for three games by the AHL for elbowing Blake Hillman on Wednesday night. It’s the second time Hodgson has been suspended for a hit on a P-Bruins player. His cheap shot on Ian McKinnon in November earned him a two-game suspension.