WBS Penguins can’t keep up with Providence in 6-2 loss

By Tom Robinson For Times Leader

WILKES-BARRE-TWP. — The Providence Bruins strung together three straight goals Wednesday night – twice.

The offensive onslaught, led by consecutive Cameron Hughes goals in the first 7:26 of the second period, lifted the Bruins to a 6-2 victory and pushed the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins further away from a potential playoff berth.

The Penguins have lost six of their last nine to fall to 27-22-3-5. They are two points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the division with 19 games to play, but the Charlotte Checkers have three additional games left and the Springfield Thunderbirds are tied with the Penguins with one extra game remaining.

Third-place Providence improved to 32-18-3-3 and separated itself from the Checkers, Thunderbirds and Penguins.

“I don’t care where Providence is; I care where we are,” Penguins coach Mike Vellucci said. “I’m not looking at them. I’m looking at getting a fourth seed.”

The Bruins may have moved out of sight for the Penguins, who next play a division rival on home ice when they return to Mohegan Sun Arena on March 7 to face the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

“It’s very disappointing,” Vellucci said. “When you’re where we are in the standings, you have to be ready every game.”

Vellucci did find one positive in the game, which was the first time his team gave up six goals since doing so three straight times at home Jan. 3-8.

“It’s not the end of the world because this is the first stinker we’ve had in a long time,” he said.

After leading for almost half of the first period, the Penguins got into immediate trouble to start the second period.

The Bruins pinned the Penguins deep in their end and when Providence did not manage to immediately capitalize, they got the puck back and put together a series of passes to move it close to the net for Hughes to score.

“I thought we had a good start and then we came out in the second period and gave up that early goal on a turnover we should never make,” Vellucci said.

Providence went on to outshoot the Penguins 31-14 and outscore them 5-1 over the last two periods.

“It was terrible,” Vellucci said. “There’s no sugar-coating it. The reason we gave up goals is that we didn’t block shots. We didn’t pay a price.

“We had a couple guys who had chances to get in shooting lanes.”

The Penguins scored first and got a goal from newly acquired winger Riley Barber, but it was not nearly enough.

Sam Miletic put them ahead on a rebound 2:12 into the game.

Barber stole a puck at the blue line and carried it in for the goal that brought the Penguins within, 3-2, in the second period, but that lasted only 1:28.

“He scored a nice goal,” Vellucci said. “He’s so smart. He’s got great hands.

“He’s definitely a player we need.”

Barber had 13 goals with the Laval Rocket in 39 games earlier this season after scoring 31 for the Hershey Bears last season. He has a goal and an assist in his first four Penguins games.

NOTES

• Phil Varone, acquired from the Montreal Canadiens organization on the same day as Barber, has reported to the team. Vellucci said he will go right on to the top line with Miletic and Barber.

• Hughes was the first star of Wednesday’s game, followed by teammates Cooper Zech and Josiah Didier, defensemen who each had a goal and an assist.

• With the District 2 high school basketball championships at the arena, the Penguins head to Syracuse and Hershey for games Friday and Saturday. They play Binghamton the night before (away) and the afternoon after (home) the Bridgeport game.

Providence 6, Penguins 2

Providence`1`3`2 — 6

Penguins`1`1`0 — 2

First period — 1, Penguins, Miletic 9 (Barber, Joseph), 2:12; 2, Providence, Didier 2 (Gaunce), 11:42. Penalties — Petrovic, Providence (high sticking) 4:22; Barber, Penguins (holding), 4:45; Petrovic, Providence (cross checking), 12:58; Warsofsky, Penguins (hooking), 14:37.

Second period — 3, Providence, Hughes 5 (Studnicka, Lantosi), 0:41; 4, Providence, Hughes 6 (Zboril, Didier), 7:26; 5, Penguins, Barber 14 (Miletic), 12:06; 6, Providence, Zech 2 (Shen, Frederic), 13:34; Penalties — Angello, Penguins (cross checking), 18:29; Cehlarik, Providence (tripping), 19:03.

Third period — 7, Providence, Cehlarik 15 (Zech, Lantosi), 2:25; 8, Providence, Kampfer 3 (Gaunce, Cehlarik), 13:44 (PP). Penalties — Warsofsky, Penguins (boarding), 0:10; Frederic, Providence (instigating, fighting, misconduct), 4:30; Angello, Penguins (fighting), 4:30; Steen, Providence (high sticking), 5:18; Kampfer, Providence (delay of game), 7:01; Powell, Penguins (cross checking), 11:47; Lizotte, Penguins (tripping), 13:27.

Shots on goal — Providence 10-18-13—41. Penguins 12-7-7—26.

Power-play opportunities — Providence 1 of 6; Penguins 0 of 6.

Goalies — Providence, Vladar 10-7-1 (26 shots-24 saves). Penguins, DeSmith 18-15-2 (41 shots-35 saves).

Referees — Conor O’Donnell, Mike Campbell. Linesmen — Jonathan Deschamps, Ryan Knapp.

A — 4,394.