PROVIDENCE — How to sum up the 6-0 loss that the Providence Bruins suffered at the hands of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Sunday afternoon?

I’m going with “stink bomb.’’

It’s been many a moon since the P-Bruins have been beaten like that on home ice, and thank God for that.

Here are five quick hits on the game, which was the finale of a three-games-in-three days weekend:

READY OR NOT

Providence was outshot badly in the first 10 minutes and then gave up a pair of goals within 1:35 just after the midpoint of the period. They never recovered.

“(The Sound Tigers) clearly were ready to go and we were not. In three-in-threes, that is the cardinal sin. You get behind the eight ball early and it’s really, really hard to come back. That team over there played a real good, solid, hard game. We were not ready to match that,’’ said P-Bruins coach Jay Leach.

HARD TIME

As long as former P-Bruins captain Brent Thompson is behind the bench, Bridgeport will make things difficult on opponents.

“The biggest takeaway (from Sunday) is being ready and able to confront a hard team like Bridgeport. That’s the hardest team we’ve played. They clearly are able to be hard on the walls, hard on pucks, well-structured. We’ve had a hard time with them, frankly, both nights. They beat us 1-0 on Friday and it wasn’t a great game for us. We clearly have something there that we’re going to need to improve upon if we want to compete against a team like that,’’ Leach said.

Providence visits Bridgeport on Dec. 3.

FIGHT TO THE FINISH

I can’t remember the last time there were four fights in a game at The Dunk. Home fans didn’t have much to cheer about on Sunday, but at least there were some decent bouts.

Sena Acolatse (2), Tommy Cross and Adam Payerl all answered the bell for the home team.

“I give all those guys a huge amount of credit to step up like that, really, in a nothing game on a Sunday. They were willing to show that as a team we’re not going to just take it. Kudos to all of them for doing that because it’s a tough thing to do,’’ said Leach.

POWER MOVE

Leach didn’t have any problem with the Sound Tigers using their top power play unit right up to the end, even with a big lead.

“I never really look into that stuff. As a coach, if things are clicking, you want to keep them clicking. It’s 6-0. They deserve to be up 6-0. They want to put out their (first) power play, it doesn’t bother me one way or the other,’’ said Leach.

“We put ourselves in that situation. It’s hockey and you want to score goals, that’s what you do. I have no problems with that. (Brent Thompson) is a former teammate of mine and by no means do I think he’s anything but honest and just wants his team to succeed.’’

GLASS HALF FULL

Looking on the bright side, while Sunday was bad, Providence got some good work out of a number of players over the weekend.

“Colby Cave played really well. Up and down the lineup (in Saturday’s 5-0 win at Hartford) everyone played well. Chris Porter played terrific all weekend, great energy. Chris Breen was terrific through all three games. Tommy Cross was good,’’ Leach said.

“Zach Senyshyn was good. His last three to five games, he’s doing a lot of little things that we’ve been talking about and he’s looked good. We’ve worked with him, trying to find that inside ice and use that speed in the right way. He’s coming along.’’

PROVIDENCE — Jordan Binnington will be in net tonight when the Providence Bruins make their first trip of the season to Hartford.

Jeremy Lauzon returns after sitting out last night with a lower-body injury. Peter Cehlarik (lower body) remains out.

The P-Bruins were sloppy early but picked it up as the game went on in last night’s 1-0 home loss to Bridgeport. The P-Bruins went 0-for-4 on the power play.

“Our power play struggled. That really hurt us, momentum wise. We had opportunities at key times in the game where you’d want a power play, and we were poor on it,” coach Jay Leach said this morning.

“And (Bridgeport is) hard. They’re a hard team. There were a few guys that weren’t really used to that hardness. They got rid of pucks quick, were a little timid. As it went on, we got a bit better, which is encouraging, but obviously it wasn’t enough.”

Providence’s lineup is depleted by callups, which gives other players a chance to shine.

“This is just what happens. We’re in that process right now where we’ve got to get these players to step up and take a bigger role than what they have been doing. This will be a learning experience for all of us, myself included. We’ve got to embrace that. The lineup is, for the most part, trying to develop some chemistry and roles for our guys because this is our group now. We’ve got to rise above,” Leach said.

Last night was another quiet one for Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, who has gone four straight games without a point, with four shots.

“He’s young and is playing at a higher level (than last season at Boston University). He’s going to be looked at as someone who’s taking charge, hard on pucks, especially as a two-way centerman, which is what he wants to be. So he’s in that process right now —  a rookie and being looked at to take charge,” said Leach.

“That’s a challenging thing to do. People expect a lot very quickly. I think he’s right where he needs to be. He’ll figure it out. This is a great opportunity for him to take a step.”

Providence lines tonight:

Agostino-JFK-Fitzgerald

Blidh-Cave-Acolatse

Hargrove-Hennessy-Senyshyn

Gabrielle-Porter-Payerl

Defense pairs:

Grzelcyk-Cross

Breen-Zboril

O’Gara-Lauzon

Vladar backs up Binnington

Out: Cehlarik (lower body), Clifton, Hickman, Johansson

Providence hosts Bridgeport again on Sunday afternoon.

PROVIDENCE — Dan Vladar starts in net for the Providence Bruins tonight against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Recalled from Atlanta after Boston summoned Zane McIntyre this week, Vladar has a 2-1 record and .897 save percentage in the ECHL. In his last start with the Gladiators, he stopped 36 shots in a 4-2 win at Orlando.

The 20-year-old from Prague was terrific for Providence on Oct. 21, kicking out 25 shots in a 2-1 shootout victory over Belleville.

Among the missing tonight, both with lower-body injuries, will be Peter Cehlarik and Jeremy Lauzon. Lauzon is expected to play at some point this weekend, but Cehlarik most likely won’t, though that could change.

It’s the first meeting of the season between the P-Bruins and Sound Tigers, who are coached by former P-Bruins defensemen and teammates Jay Leach and Brent Thompson.

There was more of a rock-’em-sock-’em flavor to the AHL back when Leach and Thompson patrolled the Providence blue line in 2004-05, an NHL lockout year.

The P-Bruins had four players with over 200 penalty minutes that season: Brendan Walsh (284), Colton Orr (279), Thompson (256) and Jay Henderson (235).

Providence lines tonight:

Agostino-JFK-Fitzgerald

Blidh-Cave-Acolatse

Hargrove-Hennessy-Senyshyn

Gabrielle-Porter-Payerl

Defense pairs

O’Gara-Grzelcyk

Breen-Zboril

Johansson-Cross

Binnington backs up Vladar

Out: Lauzon (lower body), Cehlarik (lower body), Clifton, Hickman

Providence plays at Hartford on Saturday night, then hosts Bridgeport again on Sunday afternoon.

I wrote a column about Providence College defenseman Jacob Bryson for Friday’s Providence Journal. You can read it here: http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/20171102/mark-divver-jacob-bryson-is-making-his-mark-for-pc

The Providence Bruins won one and lost one on the road over the weekend. They defeated Binghamton, 4-1, on Friday and lost to Hershey, 3-2, on Saturday.

“That’s been our best game to date,’’ coach Jay Leach said of the win in Binghamton. “We were excellent. It started with the physicality. That set the tone. We did everything right. We talked about that rink. It’s a really challenging place to play. The guys handled it really well.’’

The P-Bruins weren’t as good on Saturday against a Bears team that won only one of its first seven games.

“From the get-go, we weren’t ready to match their urgency. We were still in it and we had flashes. I don’t want to say we were terrible, but we were definitely not as urgent as they were in wanting to get that game. It’s a good lesson for us. We actually talked about it (Monday) morning. We want to be a team that shows up every night and is able to match that intensity. It’s a great learning lesson,’’ Leach said.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly:

GOOD

*** Austin Czarnik continues to score at a 2-points-per-game pace (4-6-10 in 5 games). He scored twice on the power play on Friday and assisted on both goals on Saturday. Czarnik is shooting more, averaging four shots a game compared to two per game last season. It’s paying off.

*** It was a physical first period in the small Binghamton rink, but the P-Bruins took care of business –particularly Chris Breen and Sena Acolatse. Breen knocked the Devils’ John Quenneville out of the game with a big hit, then made quick work of Ben Thomson in a fight. Acolatse let a couple of the Devils know he was ready to go, but there were no takers.

*** Josh Hennessy, who scored 99 goals in four seasons with Binghamton, potted his first tally of the season in his return to the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena.

*** With an assist on Hennessy’s goal, Jeremy Lauzon recorded his first point as a pro.

*** The Anton Blidh-Colby Cave-Acolatse line was very effective on Friday. Blidh scored his third goal in two games after a clever play by Emil Johansson and Acolatse.

*** Colton Hargrove had a solid weekend, scoring his first two goals of the season on Saturday.

*** Tommy Cross assisted on both of Czarnik’s goals on Friday.

*** The P-Bruins finished the weekend with a .750 winning percentage, tied for first in the Eastern Conference with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Lehigh Valley.

BAD

*** Providence was outshot, 12-6, in the first period in Hershey

*** Injured: Peter Cehlarik (lower body) has missed the last three games.

UGLY

*** Providence gave up 3 power play goals in 6 shorthanded situations in Hershey.

*** After Saturday’s game in Pennsylvania, the P-Bruins’ bus didn’t get back to The Dunk until 4 a.m.

PROVIDENCE — Good goaltending, solid defense and timely scoring can take a team a long way, as Providence College showed over the weekend.

The #11/10 Friars notched a 2-1 win over #19 Boston College on Friday, then beat #6 Boston University, 3-0, on Saturday. Expect PC to move up in the polls on Monday.

While there were a number of contributors, Hayden Hawkey and Erik Foley are at the top of the list. In stopping 46 of 47 shots over two nights, Hawkey provided the kind of stout play that Nate Leaman has been looking for. Up front, Foley scored a big-time goal each night.

“We’re a young team learning to win. It’s a good weekend for us but it’s still very early in the year. We’ve got to keep growing and get better,” Leaman said on Saturday night.

Here are some quick hits on the weekend:

HAWKEY

After three subpar games, Hawkey took some heat from Leaman in my Friday column in The Providence Journal. The junior netminder responded in the best possible way.

“I thought (Friday) night in the first period (Hawkey) was outstanding for our team because BC had really good push. We were a fragile team in that first period last night and Hayden kind of kept us in there and we got to the locker room only down one and were able to regroup. He was excellent,” Leaman said.

FOLEY

Back after missing a couple of games with an upper-body injury, Foley had his power game going, showing off his blistering wrist shot and beating his World Junior teammates Joseph Woll of BC and Jake Oettinger of BU.

“It’s nice to have him healthy and back in our lineup. He’s a game-changer for us,” said Leaman.

“The goal he scored (Friday) night was a game changer, got our bench going. Obviously, getting that second goal for us tonight, it was a heck of a play, a great shot. He had to beat a big-time goaltender on that goal. He can do it.”

STRONG START FOR BRYSON

Sophomore defenseman Jacob Bryson has been PC’s best player through seven games. He retrieves pucks, defends and plays the point on the power play. Listed at 5-9 and 177 pounds, the Buffalo fourth-round pick has five assists so far.

“He’s a very smart player. He’s got excellent feet. His breakout decisions are outstanding,” said Leaman.

“The best thing about him is he brings a great level of poise to our bench and to our team. He’s a guy that we’re going to have to put a letter on his jersey because that’s what he means to our team, even though he’s a sophomore.

“He settles our team down. He goes out and makes plays. I would like him to shoot the puck a little bit more, so it was nice that he had six (against BU).”

DESHARNAIS vs. GREENWAY

One of the interesting games within the game on Saturday was the matchup between powerhouse BU winger Jordan Greenway and Friar defenseman Desharnais.

The two very large men — Greenway at 6-5 and Desharnais at 6-6 — went at each other all night, and traded words several times, too.

“Vinnie played a good game. I thought Greenway played a good game. He didn’t come off the ice the first five or six minutes of that third period. Vinnie did a good job against a really good player,” said Leaman.

BRIAN PINHO

PC’s senior captain isn’t producing points at his usual rate — he has a goal and three points in seven games — but there’s no cause for concern, according to Leaman.

“They’ll come for him. Same with Scott Conway, (who) hasn’t scored a goal yet. Both of those guys are two of our top three in scoring chances for. Brian has to stay patient. He has to play the game the right way and not cheat the game and he’ll continue to get chances.

“He had a great look (on Saturday) and he missed the empty net on the cross-ice pass from (Jacob) Bryson. He shoots a lot of pucks during the week. It’ll come for Brian,” Leaman said.

A PRODUCTIVE MONTH

PC went 5-2 in October, with four of the seven games against ranked opponents. Not too shabby, especially with three freshman defensemen taking regular shifts. At the same time, some shortcomings came to light that Leaman and his staff can work on.

“Playing Clarkson, playing BU, BC, I’m seeing some areas that when you play at this level, there are things we can improve upon,” said Leaman.

“I thought BU played faster than us in the first period. The second period we played pretty fast hockey. We have to get better at that.

“Our D want to take a stickhandle or they want to stop their feet. There are areas where we can grow. When you play this level of competition, it’s great for us. It shows you the holes you’ve got to fill.”

THE BU VIEW

It was a tough weekend for coach David Quinn’s tremendously talented Terriers, who dropped a heartbreaker to #1 Denver on Friday night. Now it’s about getting ready for Friday night’s rematch with PC at Agganis Arena.

“We’re so young and mentally fragile. We feel sorry for ourselves in a hurry. We’ve got to get over it. Providence didn’t care that we lost last night with 16 seconds to go. Greatest advice I ever got from my father was, ‘Nobody cares,’ ” said Quinn.

“We get to play them again next Friday night. We’ve got a week of practice to prepare for it and hopefully shake this off. … We’ve got to move past this. We can’t let this get in the way of next weekend.”

After a 4-1 win in Binghamton last night, the Providence Bruins are in Hershey for a 7 o’clock game against the Bears tonight.

Jordan Binnington will start in net for Providence, which opens the night in a tie with San Antonio for the top winning percentage in the AHL at .857.

It’s the P-Bruins’ first trip back to the scene of one of their biggest triumphs of the 2016-17 season — a seven-game victory over Hershey in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs in May. Trailing 3 games to 2, the P-Bruins won Games 6 and 7 at the Giant Center.

Wayne Simpson, one of the heroes of Game 7 for the P-Bruins with a goal and two assists, is now playing for the Bears after landing an NHL contract with Washington over the summer.

Hershey, coming off a 3-2 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last night, has started slow, with a 1-5-0-1 record. The Bears’ goaltending is in shambles with an .860 save percentage as Pheonix Copley and Vitek Vanecek recover from injuries. Adam Carlson took the loss last night. Former Boston College star Parker Milner is Hershey’s other goalie.

Providence again will be without Peter Cehlarik (lower body). Rob O’Gara returns to the lineup.

The lines for Providence:

Hargrove-Szwarz-Czarnik

Fitzgerald-JFK-Senyshyn

Blidh-Cave-Hickman

Porter-Payerl-Gabrielle

The D:

Lauzon-Cross

Breen-Grzelcyk

O’Gara-Zboril

Binnington

McIntyre

 Zane McIntyre starts in goal for the Providence Bruins in Binghamton tonight against the Devils.

The P-Bruins will be without Peter Cehlarik (day to day, lower body).

Brown University alumnus Nick Lappin is tied for the Devils scoring lead with 4-2-6 in 5 games.

The Devils are in second place in the North Division behind Toronto.

Here are the P-Bruins lines:

Hargrove-Szwarz-Czarnik

Fitzgerald-JFK-Senyshyn

Blidh-Cave-Acolatse

Porter-Hennessy-Gabrielle

On defense:

Lauzon-Cross

Breen-Zboril

Clifton or Johansson-Grzelcyk

Binnington is the back up

After the game, the P-Bruins move on to Hershey to play the Bears on Saturday.

All eyes will be on PC’s Hayden Hawkey, above, and Brown’s Gavin Nieto this weekend. You can read my Providence Journal column on the net issues at both schools here:  http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/20171026/mark-divver-pc-and-brown-looking-for-net-gains

PROVIDENCE — This is Jordan Szwarz’ seventh season in the AHL. He last played in the NHL with Arizona at the tail end of the 2014-15 season.

At age 26 and on his second NHL organization, he’s crossed the line from prospect to depth player. But don’t even think about closing the book on his goal of making it as an NHLer.

With David Krejci out for at least the next two games, Szwarz could be in line for a recall if Boston decides it needs to add a forward. (UPDATE: Boston recalled Danton Heinen on Thursday morning) In a bottom six role, he is more than capable.

Szwarz, who is comfortable at both center and right wing, is coming off a weekend in which he scored five goals plus a shootout game-winner for the Providence Bruins. Boston GM Don Sweeney was in the house for two of those games.

Arizona’s fourth round pick in 2009, Szwarz played 35 NHL games for the Coyotes over two seasons and scored 4 goals.

He started last season with the P-Bruins on a PTO, but earned an AHL contract in short order. He went on to lead the team with 22 goals and 54 points, both career bests. He’s off to a fast start this season with 5-3-8 in 4 games.

Szwarz is achieving something that isn’t seen all that often in players who have put in as much time as he has in the AHL: He’s still getting better.

It’s a tribute to his work ethic and willingness to compete.

“That’s just who he is. He’ll be 38 and he’ll be doing that. That’s his makeup,’’ said Providence coach Jay Leach. “He’s always going to get the most out of what he’s got. He’s an awesome example for our guys.’’

Bruins executive director of player personnel John Ferguson Jr. is on board, too.

“Without question, he continues to improve as a pro. He’s become a top player at this level. Plays all 200 feet of ice. Plays all situations. And he plays hard. You’ve got to give him credit. He continues to work at his craft,” he said.

Szwarz, who played in a couple of NHL preseason games with Boston, is determined to reach the top again.

“I’m going to push myself as far as I can go every day. I want to get back in the NHL. That’s obviously what everyone wants to do down in this league. I’m going to do whatever it takes every day to get back there, doesn’t matter how old I am,” Szwarz said.

Szwarz credentials as a leader are well-established. He wore the ‘C’ with Saginaw of the OHL and with Portland. He wears an ‘A’ with Providence, as he did with Springfield.

Always a good defensive player, until last season Szwarz had never scored more than 12 goals in the AHL.

“I was still at a young stage in my career. I didn’t exactly have the offensive instincts that I have now. Each year that goes by, you learn more and more about the game. I think those offensive instincts are really starting to come out in my game in the last two years now,” he said.

The line of Danton Heinen, Szwarz and Austin Czarnik carried the P-Bruins last weekend. “It’s always easy playing with guys like that, good playmakers. I just want to go in and get them the puck, let them do their thing and good things happen,” said Szwarz.

If and when he gets the call from Boston, he is ready.

“I’ve played games in the NHL before as a fourth-line, energy guy. I know what it takes,” he said.