First periods have to last: Providence postgame

What a first period. Dominant.

“We were all over them,” James Wright said. “I thought everyone was playing well. We were getting chances.”

“They (the Sound Tigers) stuck to the game plan,” Brent Thompson said. “They played hard. They managed the puck well. They had zone time. … They were hungry on retrievals.”

Penalties ended that. The Bruins’ power play got them going. They wound up getting the win.

“It’s very disappointing, with how good we were in the first period. We took it to them,” Taylor Beck said. “We could’ve been up a couple of goals there with any luck.”

Weird how simple this was. Penalties short-circuit your momentum. Guy takes a bad penalty, winds up coming out of the box after a five-on-three, doesn’t usually kill penalties, turns the puck over, goal. Another penalty, another goal.

Bridgeport scraped back those two goals, but another penalty (which could easily have been evened up, but these things happen) helped Providence keep the momentum and win it in overtime.

“We’ll take it as a learning lesson,” Thompson said. “We’re building for the playoffs. We’re building to get better every day.”

……

Will Kirill Petrov be part of that building process? Thompson had no comment on Arthur Staple’s report of Petrov’s possible departure (linked in the pregame) aside from saying he’s “heard the same rumors, read the same stuff.” Petrov had one shift in the second; there was a lot of special-teams play, but Thompson talked about turnovers, learning as a team that if they’re going to turn pucks over, they’re not going to play. “And it’s second and third efforts. … Everybody’s got to buy into that.” Jesse Graham didn’t play the back third of the second period: turnovers and penalties. “We’re past the 25th game,” Thompson said. “We’re into the meat of the season. We need to be dialed in.”

Christopher Gibson was good again. Brilliant save to keep the game going for a few more seconds; only because of how good that save had to be that Czarnik had an empty net to shoot at. For 54 seconds before the first Providence goal, his season goals-against average had trickled under 2.00. It’s still a solid 2.09.

Hartford had Chris Summers called up and Brady Skjei sent down before the Wolf Pack’s game tonight in Rochester. Neither was there for the game. Not saying it makes a difference in a 7-1 game, but… (Matt Donovan with his second goal.) In Wilkes-Barre, the Penguins had a 3-0 lead. Then allowed the Marlies to tie it in the third. With three goals in 2:34. All of them short-handed. Two of them on the same power play. Guy who scored the first one (Mark Arcobello) took the penalty on which they scored the third one; guy who scored the third had taken the first penalty. Ridiculous. Toronto wins in the bonus round. (Ray Emery signed a PTO with the Marlies and backed up.)

The outdoor game in Sacramento between Stockton and Bakersfield got rained out. (Never play these things at a baseball field.) They’ll try again tomorrow at 7:30 Eastern. Looks like they found a way to keep occupied in the press box.

Two with Portland to get to the first break. More tomorrow.

Michael Fornabaio