PROVIDENCE – With Jordan Binnington in the net, the Providence Bruins will go for their sixth straight win tonight against the Utica Comets at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

The P-Bruins weren’t at their best in last night’s game against Hartford, but they tied it in the final minute with the goalie pulled, then won it in the shootout, 4-3, with Kenny Agostino and Austin Czarnik scoring.

“We found a way,’’ said coach Jay Leach.

“We gave them two goals — a missed coverage in the D zone and then we were sleeping on the power play. They are a team that wants to play offense. We made some ill-advised pinches on certain situations that created problems for us. At times we weren’t clean, but at the same time we did generate chances.’’

Colby Cave had a strong game with a goal and an assist. He opened the scoring for Providence in the second period, finishing off a rush with linemates Agostino and Zach Senyshyn.

“Nice play with net drive. Both Kenny and Seny making nice plays through some sticks. And that’s our game, driving to the net with some speed, getting inside people and making plays,’’ Leach said.

Cave also helped set up the game-tying tally by Jordan Szwarz with 40 seconds left in regulation.

Playing a 200-foot game, Cave is putting together a solid third season. “He’s been really good all year. He looks like he’s really found his stride, he’s skating, he’s hard on pucks, making plays,’’ said Leach.

Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, with a goal and an assist, had an excellent game, too. On defense, Ben Marshall and Connor Clifton were good.

The P-Bruins will get Chris Porter and Adam Payerl back from their one-game AHL suspensions tonight.

Providence starts the night in first place in the Atlantic Division, second in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the AHL with a .682 winning percentage. With a .500 win percentage, Utica is fifth in the North Division, 11th in the Eastern Conference and 21st in the AHL.

Tonight’s lines

Hargrove-Czarnik-Szwarz

Agostino-Cave-Senyshyn

Blidh-JFK-Gabrielle

Porter-Payerl-Hickman

D pairs

Cross-Marshall

Breen-Clifton

Zboril-O’Gara

McIntyre is the backup.

Healthy scratches: Acolatse, Hennessey

Injured: Fitzgerald (lower body), Johansson and Lauzon (both upper body).

The P-Bruins are home again on Sunday afternoon against Utica.

PROVIDENCE — The Providence Bruins will be without Chris Porter and Adam Payerl — both suspended for one game by the AHL — when they host the Hartford Wolf Pack tonight at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

Porter boarded Colton White and Payerl cross-checked Ben Thomson, both of Binghamton, during Saturday’s game.

Zane McIntyre starts in net for the P-Bruins.

It remains to be seen who Hartford’s  starter is, but the Pack added former Milwaukee Admirals goalie Marek Mazanec this week. He started the season with Slovan Bratislava of the KHL, where he had a .899 save percentage in 23 games.

The P-Bruins have won four straight games since their 8-2 debacle in Charlotte on Nov. 25. They are tied for first place in the Atlantic Division with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with a .667 winning percentage.

Hartford is in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with a .417 win percentage. They havent’ won a game since Nov. 18 against Utica.

Providence lines

Hargrove-Czarnik-Szwarz

Agostino-Cave-Senyshyn

Blidh-JFK-Gabrielle

Acolatse-Hennessy-Hickman

D pairs

Cross-Marshall

Breen-Clifton

Zboril-O’Gara

Binnington is the backup.

Injured: Fitzgerald (lower body), Johansson and Lauzon (both upper body).

The P-Bruins are home on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon for games against Utica.

It was an excellent weekend for the Providence Bruins as they banked six out of six points. At home, they beat the Binghamton Devils, 3-2 on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday, and they defeated the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 4-1, on the road on Sunday.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

***At 13-6-2-0, Providence finished the weekend in second place in the Atlantic Division, third in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the AHL.

***Ryan Fitzgerald recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick on Friday with a goal, two assists and a fight with Binghamton’s Tim Kennedy.

*** Jordan Szwarz had two goals and an assist on Saturday night and added an assist on Sunday.

*** Austin Czarnik had two assists on Saturday and two goals and a helper on Sunday.

*** Jakub Zboril recorded his first point as a pro with an assist Czarnik’s empty-netter on Sunday.

*** Sena Acolatse on Sunday and Rob O’Gara on Saturday scored their first goals of the season.

*** Colton Hargrove has 7 goals in his last 12 games.

*** The P-Bruins made gorgeous plays on power-play goals by Fitzgerald and Jacob Forsbacka Karlsson on Friday.

*** Colby Cave was not credited with an assist on Zach Senyshyn’s goal on Saturday, but he forced the turnover  that Senyshyn jumped on.

*** Zane McIntyre stopped 54 of 57 shots for a .947 save percentage.

*** If you are not a fan of fighting then feel free to move this down to the bad category:  Providence leads the AHL with 16 fighting majors, according to hockeyfights.com. Ten different P-Bruins have dropped the gloves this season.

*** The P-Bruins have won four in a row since being routed in Charlotte on Nov. 25.

BAD

*** Chris Porter could face a suspension from the AHL for a hit on Binghamton’s Colton White on Saturday.

*** The P-Bruins have been shorthanded 111 times, fifth in the league. They have had only 95 power plays, 22^nd in the league.

*** The P-Bruins gave up a goal just 40 seconds into Saturday night’s game.

UGLY

*** Injured: Emil Johansson, Jeremy Lauzon (both upper body).

With four points already in the bank this weekend, the Providence Bruins will try to win two more in Bridgeport this afternoon.

It’s the third game in three days for both teams.

Staying out of the box would be advisable for the P-Bruins. The Sound Tigers, who swept two games at The Dunk last month, went 4-for-5 on the PP in a win at Utica on Friday night.

Zane McIntyre starts in goal for the P-Bruins.

Chris Porter, who received a five-minute major and game misconduct for a hit on Binghamton’s Colton White late in last night’s game, is a healthy scratch today. There has been no word on whether the AHL will review the hit.

Providence’s lines are expected to look like this:

Hargrove-Szwarz-Czarnik

Agostino-Cave-Senyshyn

Blidh-JFK-Fitzgerald

Acolatse-Hennessy-Payerl

D pairs:

Cross-Marshall

Breen-Clifton

O’Gara-Zboril

Binnington will be the backup goalie.

Injured: Johansson, Lauzon (both upper body)

Healthy scratches: Hickman, Porter, Gabrielle

PROVIDENCE — After a 3-2 victory over the Binghamton Devils on Friday night, the Providence Bruins will play the Devils for the final time in the regular season on Saturday night.

Jordan Binnington will start in net for the P-Bruins tonight at The Dunk.

Ryan Fitzgerald was the star on Friday night with a Gordie Howe hat trick. Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Colby Cave had strong games, too, said coach Jay Leach.

“We had a good start. Binghamton skated, they really did. They were hard on the forecheck and they were physical. There were moments where we were hemmed in because we couldn’t handle their pressure. (Zane McIntyre) did a nice job, made some big saves down the stretch,” said Leach.

“Our kid power play unit did a nice job converting a couple of chances, couple of nice goals. It was a good game – back and forth.”

In addition to the change in goal, Adam Payerl will be in for Josh Hennessy and Sena Acolatse replaces Connor Clifton.

“They were a hungry team. They played pretty well. It will be a test tonight. We’ll see if we can match that. It’s always hard to play a team two times in a row,” said Leach.

Providence’s lines tonight:

Hargrove-Szwarz-Czarnik

Agostino-Cave-Senyshyn

Blidh-JFK-Fitzgerald

Porter-Payerl-Hickman

D pairs:

Cross-Marshall

Breen-Acolatse

O’Gara-Zboril

McIntyre is the backup.

Injured: Johansson, Lauzon (both upper body)

Healthy scratches: Hennessy, Clifton, Gabrielle

PROVIDENCE — Cowbells were clanging at Schneider Arena on Friday night as No. 9 Providence College beat No. 13 New Hampshire, 5-2.

Here are three quick hits on the game.

ERIK FOLEY

The junior winger and Winnipeg draft pick, who scored two goals and an assist, is hard for opponents to contain when he’s on his game, which he has been for the past month.

“Offensively, he’s a horse. When he attacks the net and makes strong plays he gets good scoring opportunities,” Friar coach Nate Leaman said after the game.

“The play he made on Vimal Sukumaran’s goal at the end of the second was the exact same play as earlier in the second, where he walked up the wall and made a soft backhand play and it was a turnover. Instead, he went to his forehand side and made a strong play to Sukumaran. If he makes strong plays, good things happen.”

Foley — now tied for second in scoring in Hockey East with 9-9-18 in 13 games — is coming into his own as one of the best forwards in Hockey East.

“He’s a terrific player.  He can do it all,” UNH coach Dick Umile said.

THE FOURTH LINE

The Friars got a terrific game from the junkyard dog line of  Robbie Hennessey (1 assist), Sukumaran (2 goals) and Shane Kavanagh (1 assist).

“Vimal just has a knack for getting to the net. He scored 8 goals last year getting to the net. The puck seems to find him when he gets there. He struggled early on faceoffs. He got better as the game wore on, but I thought he had a pretty good game tonight,” said Leaman.

“Since those three have been together, they’ve had an identity. It’s the first time we’ve seen our fourth line have a real identify. When they play to their identity, they give us energy and they finish hits and they work. Our team needs that desperately right now.”

JACOB BRYSON

PC’s best defenseman bounced back strong after being an uncharacteristic minus-3 in last Saturday’s loss to Clarkson.

On Friday, Bryson was plus-5 with two assists. He is among the top-scoring D-men in Hockey East with 1-11-12 in 15 games.

“Bryson had a really good game, but I think (plus-5 is) kind of fluky in some ways because some of those were forechecking goals. He’s a heck of a player, without a doubt,” said Leaman.

No doubt, plus-minus is just one stat among many. But when you are on the ice for all five of your team’s goals in a game and none of the other team’s goals, well, that’s a decent night’s work.

Not to be overlooked, Tommy Davis, Bryson’s partner, was plus-4 on Friday. He is second in Hockey East with plus-10.

 

PROVIDENCE — Zane McIntyre will start in goal tonight for the Providence Bruins against the Binghamton Devils at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

The P-Bruins will finish their season series with the Devils at home on Saturday night, and then will travel to Bridgeport for a Sunday afternoon game against the Sound Tigers.

Even though McIntyre gave up eight goals in his last start in Charlotte on Saturday, he kept the P-Bruins in the game for two periods, according to coach Jay Leach. Providence trailed, 3-1, after 40 minutes before being outscored, 5-1, in the final period.

“We did not stay the course. And because we did not stay the course, he was the guy who took the fall. We talked about that after the game. We were not happy about that. Hopefully we can get him some redemption tonight,” Leach said this morning.

Providence beat the Devils twice in Binghamton, 4-1 on Oct. 27 and 2-1 in overtime on Nov. 22. There were two fights in each game.

The P-Bruins start the weekend in third place in the Atlantic Division with a .611 winning percentage. Binghamton is seventh in the North Division with a .447 winning percentage.

Brown University grad Nick Lappin leads the Devils with 10 goals. Providence College alum Kevin Rooney leads the AHL with 3 shorthanded goals.

Providence’s lines tonight:

Hargrove-Szwarz-Czarnik

Agostino-Cave-Senyshyn

Blidh-JFK-Fitzgerald

Porter-Hennessy-Hickman

D pairs:

Cross-Marshall

Breen-Clifton

O’Gara-Zboril

Billington is the backup.

Injured: Johansson, Lauzon (both upper body)

Healthy scratches: Acolatse, Gabrielle. Payerl

 

As expected, the Providence Bruins are in the thick of the playoff hunt in the American Hockey League’s Atlantic Division as they reach the quarter pole of the season on Friday night.

Coach Jay Leach has had to deal with the usual challenges – NHL callups and injuries. And on most nights he’s had at least a half-dozen rookies, and at times as many as eight, in the lineup.

Watching the youngsters develop – or not — is one of most intriguing aspects of watching the P-Bruins.  A year ago, Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, Matt Grzelcyk and Peter Cehlarik were finding their way in Providence. Now they’ve all graduated to Boston.

As the next crop of rookies climbs the ladder, I asked Leach for a progress report, keeping in mind that it’s still very early.

C JAKOB FORSBACKA KARLSSON, 5-7-12 in 18 games

Leach: “JFK shows flashes of his offense, how cerebral he is. Nice hands. We use him in all situations. Overall for a 21-year-old kid, as a centerman, he’s done a nice job. He does have moments where he’s watching – not as engaged as he should be. He’s probably been able to get away with that (in college) because it’s a lower level and he thinks the game better than everyone else. Now he’s facing men and he’s realizing that sometimes he’s got to dictate a little more. The game Saturday night, he’d probably say it wasn’t his best. On Sunday he made up his mind that he was going to be engaged, starting with faceoffs, and he competed all night on pucks. He’s learning that consistency.’’

W ZACH SENYSHYN, 2-7-9 in 17 games

Leach: “Seny’s really been open to everything we’ve talked about. He’s willing to take any sort of role. We started him on the third or fourth line and he’s worked his way up and down the lineup. He’s worked his way onto the power play. There have been nights when he’s been penalty killing. He’s done everything that we’ve asked and he’s done a nice job. In years past I think he’s been more on the outside with wide speed. We’ve tried to get him to get on the inside and he’s completely willing to do so. He’s done a lot and we’re encouraged to see where it goes. Nothing but positives.’’

W RYAN FITZGERALD, 5-3-8 in 17 games

Leach: “When Fitz is good he’s inside people, uses his feet and  is hard on the puck. Obviously, he’s got some instincts on the power play. He probably has had more games where he’s effective than not. There’s been a couple where he maybe hasn’t moved his feet as much and been a little careless with the puck. Overall he’s been pretty good, pretty consistent. As we like to say, he’s a hockey player. He likes to get the puck and try to make plays with it. It’s encouraging.’’

W JESSE GABRIELLE, 0-0-0 in 14 games

Leach: “Jesse’s had a tough start. We’re trying to find him a role. He can skate like the wind. He’s got a nice shot, nice hands. He’s a physical specimen. We’re still looking for him to bring the consistency – up and down heavy winger that can score. We teach the game a certain way. We want to make sure we take care of the puck. As we know, if you go up to the NHL and you don’t take care of the puck, it’s done, it’s over. I think Jesse is learning that and he’s also playing against men. It’s a different game. He’s going through that process right now.’’

D  JEREMY LAUZON, 0-2-2 in 15 games

Leach: “He always will compete. It’s never an issue. He’s physical down low. He’s had moments when he lets the game come to him – I guess that’s the best way to describe it. He’s in position and he’s clean and it’s a simple game for him. There’s other moments when he shows his youthfulness, when he’s a little more aggressive and tends to get out of position, and the game becomes a lot harder. He’s learning to find the balance.’’

D JAKUB ZBORIL, 0-0-0 in 15 games

Leach: “Z is kind of in the other direction (from Lauzon) in that there’s times when he seems to be really engaged and skating and really good. And then there have been games where he’s just not engaged enough and he’s a little lax. He tends to lose a couple of battles and he’s not playing as hard a defensive game. He’s got to find that balance the other way – igniting a little bit more.’’

D EMIL JOHANSSON, 1-2-3 in 10 games

Leach: “We’ve asked Emil (a left shot) to play the right side, which is a hard thing for young D-men. That’s a challenge and he’s gotten right into it, for sure. He’s had moments where he’s complicated the game and it comes back to bite him. He’s had other moments where he’s starting to learn how to simplify. When he does that, he’s really effective. He’s a good shot-blocker, he’s willing to engage. He uses his skating ability nicely. Emil had a tough time early and lately he’s showed some progress.”

D CONNOR CLIFTON, 0-1-1 in 9 games

Leach: “Like Lauzon, he can be really aggressive. He’s learning his positioning. I think he comes from a completely different system that he’s been used to playing for a long time, so it’s been a process for him to break those habits and get inside and do the things that we talk about. But he has shown the ability to change, to keep it simple. He competes like a you-know-what.’’

BOSTON – The Boston Bruins aren’t going anywhere this season unless Tuukka Rask finds his game. Rask took a big step in the right direction by backstopping the Bruins to a 3-2 win over the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.

The rested Bruins jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the Lightning, who played Tuesday night in Buffalo, then withstood a third period push by the visitors.

Here are three quick hits on the game:

NET GAIN

Rask was called on to make just 19 saves, but he came through with some beauties.

His stop on Nikita Kucherov, one of the NHL’s top snipers, in the final minute of the second period was probably his best.

“Those are the saves that people expect you to make,” Rask said.

“(If we lose) you talk about after the game, ‘He should’ve saved that to keep that lead’ and now you talk that it’s a timely save, so it’s always something you want to do, and you try to do, and hopefully more often than not you save those.”

“He helped himself big time tonight. That’s what we need,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “It’s an imperfect game. We’re not going to be mistake-free every night. We’d like to correct some of those things, especially with a lead, but he was really good there. I’m sure it affected his confidence, too, between periods. It has to when you make big saves. It’s what you’re paid to do, right?”

Right.

McAVOY MUNCHES MINUTES

Even though the Bruins dressed seven defensemen, Charlie McAvoy, still three weeks from his 20th birthday, logged a game-high 28:11 on the ice while scoring a goal and an assist.

Is that too much ice time?

“I think that’s something you have to be mindful of,” Cassidy said. “Now, we don’t play until Saturday so if you’re going to do it, today’s the day. But, you’re playing against one of the best offensive teams in the league, so you’ve got to be a little more mindful of your matchups – especially when they split Kucherov and (Steven) Stamkos after the first (period), so now you want to make sure you don’t get exposed there with mismatches, and obviously everybody can play against everybody in this league, that’s why they’re here, but there’s certain ones you want to tilt towards in your favor.

“So, Charlie got a lot of work. And he’s an efficient player, he can handle it, but 28 (minutes) is a lot. So, we’ll have to take a look at that and try to get it to a more reasonable number, for sure.”

VATRANO STEPS UP

When you’re a fourth-liner looking to stay in the lineup every night, you do the kinds of things that Frank Vatrano did on Wednesday night.

First, he went after Cedric Paquette when the Lightning pest hit Torey Krug square on the numbers and ran him into the end boards early in the second period.

Vatrano cost the Bruins a power play, but standing up for a teammate is never a bad play and is something that teammates notice and appreciate.

“Frankie responds pretty well. Might take a power play away from us, but shows we’re not going to stand for it,’’ David Backes said.

Then, with the Bruins clinging to a one-goal lead late, Vatrano took a hard check from Paquette in front of the Boston bench, but not before making a smart play with the puck. Backes noticed that, too.

“He took a hit to make a play, advances the puck. (The Lightning are) worried about hitting bodies rather than scoring goals, and we end up with two points,’’ he said.

Vatrano came up from Providence a couple of seasons ago as a one-dimensional player — a shooter. His willingness lately to do more than just rip pucks at the net is going to help him stay in the NHL.

There was more good than bad for the Providence Bruins last week, as they sandwiched two wins around a punishing defeat that is the low point of the season so far. They won in overtime, 2-1, in Binghamton on Wednesday, were blitzed, 8-2, in Charlotte on Saturday, then bounced back to beat the Checkers, 2-1, in a shootout on Sunday, earning four out of six points.

“The boys had a great response (on Sunday). Great to see,’’ said coach Jay Leach.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

*** The P-Bruins showed a lot of character by quickly parking Saturday night’s disaster and gutting out a win on Sunday afternoon.

*** Colby Cave had a terrific game on Sunday. He scored in the shootout to keep Providence alive.

*** With goals in three of the last four games, Colton Hargrove leads Providence in goals with six. He scored the OT winner in Binghamton.

*** Ryan Fitzgerald scored Providence’s first goal on Saturday, then buried the winner in Sunday’s shootout.

*** Jordan Binnington wasn’t all that busy on Sunday, facing 19 shots. But he came up big on Charlotte’s Grade A chances and was stellar in the shootout. Binnington is 4-1-1 with a .931 save percentage, fifth in the AHL.

*** Despite numerous callups, Providence got through November with a 4-4-2 record. Five of their next six games are at home.

BAD

*** The penalty kill gave up three goals on eight chances in Saturday’s loss.

*** After allowing eight goals on Saturday, Zane McIntyre’s save percentage is .892, 36th in the AHL.

*** The P-Bruins gave up shorthanded goals on Wednesday and Sunday.

*** Tough night for the D pair of Emil Johansson and Chris Breen on Saturday, both on the ice for three even-strength goals against. They weren’t alone: Kenny Agostino (-3), Austin Czarnik, Chris Porter and Zach Senyshyn (-2).

UGLY

*** After a scoreless first period on Saturday, the wheels came off for the P-Bruins, as they were outscored, 8-2, over the final 40 minutes.

*** The P-Bruins managed only 17 shots on Saturday.

*** Providence’s defensive coverage around the net on Saturday was as poor as I’ve seen it in recent memory.

*** Injured: Jeremy Lauzon (upper body).