In stark contrast to their NHL counterparts, with just three games over the past 11 days, the Providence Bruins have had ample time to focus on the little things.
But stepping out of rhythm sometimes come with a price.
Providence felt the brunt of that last Saturday, April 10, suffering their worst defeat of the season on the road in Hartford, 6-1. The setback, though, was short-lived as Providence finally got a chance to face a new opponent in the Utica Comets on Friday, April 16, and got back on track with a 6-2 victory.
In their loss to Hartford, Providence fell behind 5-0 before Tommy Cross ended the shutout bid with a goal midway through the third period. Kyle Keyser recorded 31 saves for the shorthanded P-Bruins.
Keyser, the lone goaltender with professional experience currently on the Providence roster, started again against Utica and rebounded from a tough loss earlier in the week with a 25-save performance.
Utica led, 2-0, late into the first period before Providence netted six unanswered goals. Brady Lyle netted the opener late in the first period to switch the momentum before Robert Lantosi struck twice in the second period, seven minutes apart, to put Providence ahead.
Jakub Lauko assisted on two of the first three goals, including the eventual game-winner. Urho Vaakanainen also tallied two assists while Zach Senyshyn, Paul Carey, and Eduards Tralmaks all found the scoresheet in the third period.
Player of the Week: Jakub Lauko — The only player to record points in both games, Lauko had three helpers on the week and continues to shine in the AHL ranks. Lyle and Lantosi get the stick taps for multi-point games as well.
Up next: Providence will travel to Bridgeport on Tuesday before returning home to face Hartford on Thursday with puck drop for both contests scheduled for 1 p.m.