BRUINS DEFEAT SHARKS 3-1

Providence wins fourth straight against Worcester in season series

Providence, RI -- The Providence Bruins defeated the Worcester Sharks 3-1 this evening at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Kyle MacKinnon, Alden Hirschfeld and Trent Whitfield scored for the Bruins. Niklas Svedberg posted 19 saves as the Bruins improve to 32-18-0-4 on the season.

The Worcester Sharks, riding a two-game win streak came out ready to play against a sluggish looking Providence team. The Sharks easily controlled the first half of the opening period , applying pressure on the Bruins' defenders and pummelling Svedberg with shots. However, the Bruins turned the tables in the second half of the first frame. The Bruins' best opportunity came at 12:46 when the Sharks' Taylor Doherty went to the sin bin for four minutes. However, a huge diving save by Alex Stalock kept the Bruins off the board and sent the teams into the first intermission scoreless.

The Black and Gold turned up the intensity against their Atlantic Division rival and route 146 foe in the second period. Jamie Tardif shined, literally throwing pucks and his body at the net. The Bruins leading scorer created the team's best scoring opportunity of the game with four minutes to play in the second. Tardif beat the defender with his speed for a beautiful wrap-around Stalock's net. However, Craig Cunningham couldn't connect on the pass in front. Besides exchanging scoring opportunities, the teams exchanged punches and shoves, racking up 24 penalty minutes, including two fighting majors, in the second period. The Bruins were awarded a power play with 34 seconds to play, but a fumble at the blue line caused a turnover and a shorthanded Worcester goal.

The Bruins turned it on in the third period scoring three unanswered goals. MacKinnon opened the scoring on the power play at 12:53. Tardif fed MacKinnon across the crease who beat a sprawling Stalock back door. Five minutes later Hirschfeld added the go-ahead goal when he dangled the Sharks' defensemen and sent a rocket top shelf on Stalock. The Bruins captain Whitfield added an empty net goal for security at 19:02 to give the Bruins a 3-1 win.