hockey

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins weekend

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Riley Duran is denied on a breakaway by Kaapo Kähkönen in the second period of Game 2. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

The Providence Bruins are in trouble.

After losing the first two games of their best-of-five Atlantic Division semifinal series at home against the Charlotte Checkers on Friday and Sunday, Providence’s season will be on the line in Game 3 in North Carolina on Wednesday.

The P-Bruins fell behind in the opening minutes and lost Game 1 on Friday, 5-1. They started slowly again in Game 2 on Sunday, mounted a furious push in the third period, but lost, 2-0.

“I didn’t like some of our compete tonight. It’s a little disappointing,” said coach Ryan Mougenel on Sunday. “It’s something that, I know this group can turn it around. It’s a special group in the fact that we have great leaders and we have some young guys that are full of life and energy. We’ve got to just keep playing our game, where we’ve had success. I feel like we’ve gotten away from it.”

Mougenel referenced a conversation with Boston assistant coach Chris Kelly, who attended Game 1.

“The biggest thing he said to me was in the regular season you earn a paycheck. The playoffs are about your reputation. That was a message to the guys today,” Mougenel said.

“We want guys playing meaningful games, we want to see how you play in meaningful games. We want to see you play like a man. You’re going to be bumped, you’re going to get hooked. You’ve gotta fight through it. Some guys fight through it, some guys didn’t. It’s about being a pro and being a man and playing like a man.”

The Bruins have their work cut out for them.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— The P-Bruins outshot Charlotte, 15-2, in the third period of Game 2.

“That third period we took it to them and started playing our game. We’ve got to find a way to start that way and play that way for a full 60. I feel like it’s going to give us a little confidence going into the next game,” said Matt Poitras.

“We’re going to go to Charlotte, take it one game at a time and see what happens.”

BAD

— It was a tough night for some of Providence’s top players in Game 1. Matt Poitras finished with a minus-4. Ian Mitchell, Dans Locmelis and Vinni Lettieri were minus-3.

— Referees Mike Sullivan and Jim Curtin whistled the P-Bruins for three penalties in the first 12 minutes of Game 2.

— Halfway through Game 2, Providence had only seven shots.

— The power play is 0 for 8 through two games.

“Our power play has to be better. (Charlotte is) an aggressive bunch. We’ve got to take a deep breath and be able to make the next play. We haven’t been able to make the next play,” said Mougenel.

UGLY

— Providence gave up two unassisted shorthanded goals on the same penalty in the first five minutes of Game 1. It was a grotesque way to start a series.

— Going into Game 3, Providence has gone 111:43 without a goal.

— Injured: Georgii Merkulov, Billy Sweezey, Trevor Kuntar

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins week

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Ian Mitchell and Vinni Lettieri celebrates Mitchell’s goal, which turned out to be the game-winner on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

It was a Sunday to remember at the AMP.

In the deciding game of the best-of-three first-round series between Providence and Springfield, the P-Bruins exploded for four third period goals in a 5-1 victory.

It was Providence’s first win in a playoff series since 2017, when they defeated the Hershey Bears, four games to two.

“Michael DiPietro made some huge stops early on,” said coach Ryan Mougenel, who was back behind the bench on Sunday after being away from the team for a couple of weeks to be with his father, Ron, who passed away last week.

“They’re an amazing group to be around,” he said of his team. “I can’t say enough about our leadership – (Patrick Brown and Tyler Pitlick) and these guys. Even (rookie Fraser) Minten, saying the right things and playing the right way.”

To get to Sunday, the P-Bruins and Thunderbirds played a pair of tight, low-scoring games. Springfield won, 2-1, at the AMP on Wednesday, then Providence prevailed, 1-0, on Vinni Lettieri’s overtime goal on the road on Friday.

Providence will move on to face the Charlotte Checkers in a best-of-five series starting in Providence on Friday night.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Captain Patrick Brown capped an amazing series with a pair of primary assists on power play goals in Game 3, but it was his leadership that paved the way for Providence’s series win.

Providence fans are going to be talking for a long time about his Game 2 performance. With Springfield pressing around the Providence net in the third period, Brown blocked a shot with his face. With blood splashed all over his visor, he went to the locker room for repairs but quickly returned to the game, which the P-Bruins won in OT.

The blocked shot might have been the turning point in the series.

“You watch him eat that one and that’s why Brownie is our captain,” said Matt Poitras after Sunday’s win. “When you see a guy bleeding from his face and he looks at the bench and tells us to get going, you gotta listen.”

— Days after being named a First Team AHL All Star, Michael DiPietro won the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award, which is given to the AHL’s most outstanding goaltender each season. He was brilliant in stopping all 24 Springfield shots in Game 2, then made some huge stops in the win in Game 3.

— Riley Tufte is playing his best hockey of the season. He had assists in Game 1 and 2, then scored twice in Game 3. His steal and finish on Providence’s third goal on Sunday electrified the crowd.

— Matt Poitras was a standout all over the ice throughout the series. He scored two power play goals in Game 3.

— Vinni Lettieri was a problem for Springfield in all three games. He scored the OT goal in Game 2, had two assists in Game 3 and piled up a total of 15 shots in the series.

— Ian Mitchell had a goal and an assist in Game 3. His power play goal in the third period was a game-winner.

— Both the penalty kill and the power play were difference-makers. Providence killed all 11 Springfield power plays. The power play scored once in Game 1, then went 3 for 5 in Game 3.

“I try to not get too involved in the special teams and overcoach it,” said Mougenel. “For me, (assistants) Matty Thomas and Trent Whitfield are two of the best. There’s something to be said about guys that can teach things and make it as simple as possible. Those are two guys that do it extremely well. Our special teams have been outstanding all year. Not that coaches should get credit all the time, but those two should. They’re amazing at what they do.”

BAD

— Providence outshot Springfield, 10-6, in the first period of Game 1, but gave up a pair of goals in a span of four minutes. It was a hole the P-Bruins could never climb out of as they lost, 2-1.

— Trailing by a goal in the third period of Game 1, the P-Bruins failed to score on a four-minute power play.

— Providence took three straight penalties in the third period of Game 2. That’s living dangerously in a scoreless game.

UGLY

— Injured: Billy Sweezey, Georgii Merkulov, Jake Gaudet

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins week

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Vinni Lettieri (95) scores Providence’s first goal on Saturday night. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

The Providence Bruins took care of business in the final week of the regular season.

By winning both of their games, they nailed down third place in the Atlantic Division and earned home ice against the Springfield Thunderbirds in a best-of-three first round Calder Cup series.

The P-Bruins opened the week with one of the signature wins of the season. On the road at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, they came from one goal down in the third period and defeated the Penguins, 3-2, on a goal in the final minute by Riley Tufte.

At home on Saturday, Providence closed out the regular season by edging the Bridgeport Islanders, 3-2.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Providence finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 41-23-5-3, good for 90 points. They trailed first-place Hershey by six points and second-place Charlotte by four.

— Mike DiPietro was named an AHL First Team All-Star on Thursday. He’s the first P-Bruin goalie to earn that honor since Niklas Svedberg in 2012-13. DiPietro finished with a record of 26-8-5 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.05 goals-against average.

— Dans Locmelis finished tied for 65th in scoring in the NCAA this season at UMass with 8-25-33 in 40 games. Since turning pro on April 1, Locmelis has piled up points at a stunning rate. After recording two assists in each of Providence’s games last week, he has 3-9-12 in six games. The sample size has been tiny, but he’s been a breath of fresh air.

— With Providence trailing by a goal in the third period on Wednesday, Patrick Brown simply was not going to be denied. He willed the puck into the net for his team-leading 10th power play goal of the season and the P-Bruins went on to a key win. The team has been fortunate to have outstanding captains through the years and Brown is one of the best.

— Providence’s special teams finished strong. They were third in the league on the power play at 21.4 percent and second on the penalty kill at 85.7 percent.

— Georgii Merkulov finished with 15-39-54 in 59 games. He’s led the team in scoring in each of his three seasons. He deserved more than the six games he got with Boston this season.

— Vinni Lettieri, Tyler Pitlick and Riley Tufte – all natives of Minnesota – tied for the team lead in goals with 21.

— It was a good week for John Farinacci. He scored his first NHL goal in Boston on Tuesday and tallied the game-winner against the Islanders on Saturday.

— Daniil Misyul displayed a different side of his game when he landed some big punches on Bridgeport’s Travis Mitchell in a late-game scrap.

— Providence finished with a record of 11-1 against last-place Bridgeport.

BAD

— The P-Bruins went 5-6-0-1 against their first-round opponent, Springfield.

— Since scoring a natural hat trick against the Thunderbirds on March 16, Fraser Minten doesn’t have a goal in eight games.

UGLY

— Providence was whistled for two too-many-men penalties against Bridgeport.

— Injured: Georgii Merkulov, Billy Sweezey, Jake Gaudet

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins weekend

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Rookie Dans Locmelis put on a show in Hartford with a goal and three assists. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

On the second-to-last weekend of the regular season, the Providence Bruins played twice and racked up wins in both games.

In Hartford on Friday night, Providence jumped out to a four-goal lead on the way to a 6-2 win over the Wolf Pack. At home on Saturday, the P-Bruins earned a 4-3 overtime victory against the Belleville Senators.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Early in Friday’s game, Brandon Bussi made one of the best saves of the season when he dove across the crease to snare an Alex Belzile shot in his catching glove.

— Matt Poitras scored twice, added two assists and was plus-3 in Hartford, then he set up three goals on Saturday. He has 11 multi-point games this season. Poitras has 16-24-40 in 38 games.

— Dans Locmelis scored his first pro goal in the win over the Wolf Pack and assisted on three goals. Against Belleville, he buried the winner with 14 seconds left in OT and added two helpers. Locmelis has 2-6-8 in 4 games.

— Providence finished the weekend in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 39-23-5-3 for 86 points. They are tied in points with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, their opponent in Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Hershey is first with 93 points and Charlotte is second with 88.

— Oliver Wahlstrom scored a goal and an assist on both Friday and Saturday night.

— The P-Bruins went 1 for 4 on the power play on Friday and 3 for 9 on Saturday.

— Daniil Misyul scored his first goal with Providence on Saturday.

— Two defensemen who started the season in the ECHL have been solid contributors since arriving in Providence. Chris Ortiz was plus-3 against Hartford and Mason Millman leads the team with a plus-19 rating.

— 9,088 fans turned out on Saturday for Country Music Night.

BAD

— Providence gave up a two-goal lead in the second period on Saturday and then, after taking the lead in the third period, allowed the tying goal just 64 seconds later.

UGLY

— Injured: Georgii Merkulov, Billy Sweezey, Jake Gaudet

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins weekend

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From close range, Riley Tufte pots his 19th goal of the season on Friday night. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

The Providence Bruins broke even over the weekend, earning three out of six points.

They started with a dominating 4-0 victory over the Charlotte Checkers at home on Friday. They traveled to Utica and lost to the Comets, 6-4, on Saturday. Back at home on Sunday, they pocketed a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to Charlotte.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Providence finished the weekend with a record of 37-23-5-3 and 82 points. They are third in the Atlantic Division, tied in points with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

— Tyler Pitlick’s outstanding season continued on Friday night as he scored his 20th goal of the season and added an assist. He also recorded an assist on Sunday.

— On his first shift as a pro on Friday night, Dans Locmelis set up a goal by Riley Duran for his first point. Dalton Bancroft and Jake Schmaltz notched their first pro goals on Saturday.

— It was a good weekend for Brett Harrison. He had three assists and was plus-three on Saturday and scored a goal on Sunday.

— Brandon Bussi posted his fifth shutout of the year on Friday against Charlotte.

— Riley Tufte had a goal and an assist on Friday. He potted his 20th goal on Sunday.

— Providence scored three goals in the first 8:44 in Friday’s win.

— Joey Abate scored twice in Utica. He has a career-high eight goals.

— Ty Gallagher is living up to his reputation as a good puck-handling defenseman. He had two assists in Utica and has 1-4-5 in his first eight games.

— Trailing 5-1 in the third period against the Comets, the P-Bruins didn’t quit. They fought back to within 5-3 late before giving up an empty net goal.

BAD

— Providence gave up three goals in 3:56 in the third period Utica.

— They led by two goals with 10 minutes left on Sunday, but lost in OT.

— Georgii Merkulov has just two goals in his last 13 games.

— After a hot start, Oliver Wahlstrom has two goals in his last 13 games.

— Matt Poitras didn’t record a shot on goal on Saturday or Sunday.

— The P-Bruins were hit with delay of game penalties for shooting the puck over the glass on both Friday and Saturday.

UGLY

— Frederic Brunet was minus-four in Utica.

— Injured: Georgii Merkulov, Billy Sweezey, Michael DiPietro, Jake Gaudet

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins week

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The Providence Bruins were ahead by a goal and appeared to be closing in on a win over the Springfield Thunderbirds with under two minutes left on Sunday before 10,113 fans at the AMP.

Then things went haywire.

Springfield’s Nikita Alexandrov, with a terrific individual rush, tied the game with 1:24 left.

Sixty-six seconds later, Alexandrov struck again. He got his stick on a shot from the point and tipped it past Brandon Bussi for the winning goal in a 3-2 decision.

It was a shocking end for Providence.

The P-Bruins finished with a 1-3 record for the week, as the absence of top players recalled by Boston or out with injuries hit home.

The week started on the road against the Charlotte Checkers with a 6-3 loss on Tuesday and a 5-2 loss on Wednesday.

Returning to Rhode Island, Providence ground out a 2-1 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday before losing on Sunday.

Providence lost ground in the Atlantic Division standings. They are in fourth place with a record of 36-22-4-3 and 79 points. They are three points behind Charlotte and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Hershey Bears are first with 85 points.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Providence clinched a playoff spot on Saturday night. They have missed the postseason only five times since the franchise was founded in 1992-93. The last no-playoff season was 2011-12, which was Bruce Cassidy’s first year as head coach.

— Tyler Pitlick had two very strong games.

With Providence down by a goal early in the third period on Saturday, Pitlick scored a highlight-reel goal to tie the game. He did it again on Sunday, blocking a shot and then roaring in to score an unassisted breakaway goal that tied the game.

At 33 years old, Pitlick has a career-high 19 goals. He’s had a tremendous positive impact with the P-Bruins.

— Frederic Brunet turned in an excellent game on Sunday.

— The line of Trevor Kuntar, Jaxon Nelson and Joey Abate played a terrific game on Wednesday.

— After going without a goal in his first 28 games, Nelson scored twice in three games, including the game-winner on Saturday.

— Riley Tufte outmuscled a Hartford defender, then passed to Nelson in front of the net for Saturday’s GWG.

BAD

— The P-Bruins led 2-1 going into the third period on Wednesday, then gave up four goals (two empty-netters) and lost, 5-2.

— Matt Poitras had a rough night on Wednesday. He took penalties for tripping, high-sticking and hooking.

— Daniil Misyul was minus-3 in his Providence debut on Tuesday.

— Providence was outscored by a total of 6-0 in the first period of the games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

— The P-Bruins penalty kill is fourth in the AHL at 85.1 percent, but gave up three goals on Wednesday.

— Providence was without captain Patrick Brown, Vinni Lettieri, Fabian Lysell, Mike Callahan and Ian Mitchell, all of whom were on recall with Boston.

UGLY

— Pick your adjective. The finish to Sunday’s game was ugly, hideous, revolting.

— Injured: John Farinacci, Billy Sweezey, Michael DiPietro

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins weekend

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Matt Poitras scored twice in a win against Lehigh Valley on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

Under the circumstances, it was the most impressive weekend of the season for the Providence Bruins.

Facing two quality opponents on the road without five of their better players in captain Patrick Brown, Vinni Lettieri, Fabian Lysell, Ian Mitchell or Mike Callahan?

Didn’t matter.

The P-Bruins stomped the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 10-2, on Friday night, then beat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 3-1, on Saturday night.

Here’s the good, bad & ugly.

GOOD

— Providence finished the weekend in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 35-19-4-3 record and 77 points. They are one point behind second-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. With 11 games left in the regular season, the magic number to clinch a playoff spot is two.

— Special teams are going strong. The power play went 3 for 5 on Friday and 1 for 2 on Saturday. They’ve scored power play goals in five straight games. The PP is eighth in the AHL at 20.5 percent. The PK is third at 85.6 percent.

— Providence’s goal differential is plus-48. Only the Colorado Eagles with plus-60 are ahead of them.

— Jeffrey Viel led the point parade in Friday night’s offensive explosion with 2-2-4, followed by Jake Gaudet (2-1-3), Matt Poitras (1-2-3) and Oliver Wahlstrom (0-3-3).

— Brandon Bussi stopped 42 shots against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. While the final score was lopsided in Providence’s favor, Bussi denied the Penguins on at least three Grade A opportunities in the opening minutes to keep the game scoreless and allow the P-Bruins to get to their game.

— Friday was Providence’s first 10-goal game since Nov. 25, 1998. On that night, the visiting P-Bruins annihilated Syracuse, 14-2.

— Fourteen different players recorded points against the Penguins.

— When former Boston University defenseman Ty Gallagher scored his first pro goal Friday, it was former Boston College winger Oliver Wahlstrom who fished the puck out of the net for Gallagher.   

— Providence has outscored the Penguins, 20-5, and beaten them in all three meetings so far.

— Joey Abate scored a goal, punished Atley Calvert with a big hit into the boards and decisioned Jack St. Ivany in a fight on Friday night. Call it a Joey Abate Hat Trick.

— Frederic Brunet got a fortunate break on his goal – his fifth of the season – against the Penguins. Fraser Minten threw the puck at the net and it hit Brunet – who was ridden into the crease by a defender – and went into the net.

— Michael DiPietro turned in a solid 28-save effort against the Phantoms. He leads the AHL in wins (28), save percentage (.929) and goals-against average (2.02).

— Matt Poitras played a strong two-way game against Lehigh Valley. He opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period and added some insurance with an empty-netter in the third period.

— Brett Harrison scored goals in both games.

— Max Wanner had his best game so far on Saturday. He defended well and made a couple of smart, poised plays with the puck. On Providence’s second goal he carried the puck into the offensive zone and got it on net, where Harrison cashed in the rebound.

BAD

— Obviously, the P-Bruins exist to serve the parent club and callups are a fact of AHL life. But when five of your better players are up with Boston, Providence faces a massive challenge.

UGLY

– – A behind-the-back, cross-ice pass attempt in the defensive zone blew up in Georgii Merkulov’s face on Friday. Sam Poulin of the Penguins picked it off and promptly scored Wilkes-Barre/Scranston’s first goal.

— Injured: John Farinacci, Jake Gaudet

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins week

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Fraser Minten scored a natural hat trick in Springfield on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

When all was said and done, it turned out to be a decent week for the Providence Bruins.

Playing on the road without three of their top players – Patrick Brown, Vinni Lettieri and Ian Mitchell, all of whom are up with the Boston Bruins — the P-Bruins earned three out of six points.

They started the week in Toronto, where they dropped a 4-2 decision to the Marlies. Moving on to Rochester on Friday, Providence lost to the Americans in a shootout, 4-3. In Springfield on Sunday afternoon, they played a very strong game at both ends and headed home with a much-needed 4-1 win.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Playing his third game with Providence, 20-year-old center Fraser Minten had an afternoon to remember on Sunday. He scored a natural hat trick and assisted on Riley Duran’s goal.

— Billy Sweezey made a pretty pass to set up Minten on Minten’s second goal against the T-Birds.

— Providence finished the weekend at 33-19-4-3 and 73 points. They are in third place in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the second-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and one point ahead of the fourth-place Charlotte Checkers. The Hershey Bears are first with 80 points.

— The power play continues to produce. The P-Bruins scored a power play goal in each of their three games.

— The penalty kill is up to fourth in the AHL at 85.2 percent.

— Matt Poitras  had an assist in Toronto, two in Rochester and one in Springfield. Three of the four helpers came on the power play.

— Fabian Lysell scored a nice goal for his 11th of the season in Toronto.

— Jeffrey Viel scored twice before the game was 11 minutes old in Rochester. Both goals were assisted by Tyler Pitlick and Jake Gaudet. Acquired on loan from Cleveland, Gaudet turned in good games on Friday and Sunday.

BAD

— They squandered a two-goal lead in Rochester and were outshot, 21-7, in the second period.

— Providence allowed a goal 30 seconds into the second period in Toronto.

— With the goalie pulled on Friday, Providence couldn’t hit the open net on Friday and the Amerks promptly took the puck to the other end and tied the game.

— A quick whistle by referee Johnathan Daniels cost Oliver Wahlstrom a goal against the Thunderbirds.

UGLY

— Injured: John Farinacci

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins week

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Patrick Brown has six goals and 16 points in his last nine games. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

The Providence Bruins continued to play good hockey over the last week, earning five out of six points.

They beat the Bridgeport Islanders, 5-1, on the road on Wednesday. At home on Saturday, they banked a point in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds. Then on Sunday they scored four times in the third period for a come-from-behind 5-2 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack before 10,031 fans at the AMP.

The veterans – especially Vinni Lettieri and Patrick Brown — led the way again on Sunday.

“We talk about them a lot and I don’t even think we talk about them enough. What they bring and who they are, the things they say, the commitment to the game and how much they love the game and how energizing they are for us as a coaching staff to come to the rink,” said coach Ryan Mougenel.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— With Sunday’s win, Providence finished the weekend in second place in the Atlantic Division with 68 points. They are three points behind the first-place Hershey Bears and two points ahead of the third-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

— The power play is cooking. It went 4 for 6 in the three games. It’s up to 14th in the AHL at 19.2 percent.

— Vinni Lettieri had a goal and an assist against Bridgeport, an assist against Springfield and a goal and two helpers against Hartford. He leads the team with 20-28-48 in 46 games.

— Patrick Brown scored twice against Bridgeport and recorded two helpers against Springfield and Hartford. He has 6-10-16 in his last nine games.

— Tyler Pitlick had a goal and an assist against the Islanders.

— Riley Tufte scored twice against Springfield and once against Hartford.

— Max Jones had 1-1-2 against the Wolf Pack.

— The fourth line of Trevor Kuntar, Brett Harrison and Joey Abate had a terrific game on Sunday.

Kuntar goaded Hartford’s Alex Belzile into taking 17 minutes in penalties and had a game-high seven shots. Harrison was credited with an assist on Lettieri’s tying goal  and Abate sparked positive energy with a crushing check and a fight three minutes into the game.

“I thought Kuntar, Harry and Abate were really kind of the difference (Sunday). They did a good job of playing how we need to play. Abate gets a big hit and a fight. Guys that are kind of in and out of the lineup and you tell them they’ve got to make noise, I thought they did that tonight. They deserve a lot of the kudos,” said Mougenel.

— In his first game after being sent down from Boston, Oliver Wahlstrom scored his first goal as a Providence Bruin on Saturday. On Sunday, he added another goal – an empty netter.

— Fabian Lysell got a fortunate bounce off a Hartford defender on his game-winning goal on Sunday. He’d had one goal in his previous 13 games.

“It was good to see Fabian get rewarded by just making a play towards the net. It wasn’t a lateral play,” said Mougenel.

BAD

— Very questionable goaltender interference call on Riley Tufte on Saturday. Skating at full speed, Tufte reached for a Patrick Brown pass at the edge of the crease and tipped the puck past Springfield goalie Vadim Zherenko for Providence’s third goal. Just as Tufte touched the puck, he collided with Zherenko, who was at the top of the crease attempting to make the save. The goal counted, as it should have. Zherenko was not injured. Both players were attempting to make a play on the puck, a hockey play. I don’t think a penalty was the right call.

— After taking the lead early in the first period on Sunday, the P-Bruins gave up the tying goal just 51 seconds later.

— As good as the power play has been lately, it wasted five minutes with the man advantage on Sunday.

— They were shorthanded only twice on Saturday and they gave up goals both times.

UGLY

— Injured: Jackson Edward

Good, bad & ugly from Providence Bruins weekend

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Vinni Lettieri rifles the puck past Springfield’s Vadim Zherenko for the decisive goal in the shootout on Friday night. (Photo courtesy of Providence Bruins)

It was a one step forward, one step back kind of weekend for the Providence Bruins.

After not practicing for most of the week because of the AHL All-Star break, the P-Bruins returned with a 3-2 shootout win at home over the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday. The next night they dropped a 5-2 decision against the T-Birds on the road.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly.

GOOD

— Providence finished the weekend with a record of 25-15-4-1. With 55 points, they are fourth in the Atlantic Division, a point behind the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and tied in points with the Charlotte Checkers.

— The line of Jeffrey Viel, Patrick Brown and Trevor Pitlick had an exceptional night on Friday as they combined for a goal and 12 shots in the shootout win over Springfield.

— Nice pass from John Farinacci to Max Jones, who tied Friday’s game with 3:55 left in the third period. Farinacci has 2-13-15 in his last 16 games.

— Brandon Bussi stopped 25 of 27 shots, plus all three Springfield shootout attempts in the victory on Friday. He’s won three of his last four starts.

— Providence’s 2.56 goals-against average is second in the AHL.

— Back after a very solid stint with Boston, Vinni Lettieri tucked in the shootout winner on Friday and scored his team-leading 15th goal on Saturday.

— Billy Sweezey pounded out a solid decision over Dylan Peterson of Springfield in a first period bout on Saturday.

— Michael DiPietro was a standout in the first period on Saturday night, stopping all 13 shots and making some 10-bell saves.

— Max Jones scored a goal on Friday and had two assists on Saturday. He has 4-2-6 in his last six games.

— Providence’s Jeffrey Viel and Sam Bitten of the T-Birds engaged in one of the better fights of the season on Saturday.

— Providence doesn’t play outside New England again until a March 12 game at Toronto.

— The penalty kill is seventh in the league at 84.5 percent.

BAD

— They gave up the game-tying goal with eight seconds left in the second period on Saturday.

— I’m still looking for the crosscheck that referee Jake Kamrass called on Brett Harrison of the Bruins on Saturday night. Don’t think I’m going to find it.

UGLY

— Providence is being outshot in overtime, 30-13. Helps explain why they are 1-4 in OT games.