Hershey 6, P-Bruins 4: Providence squanders 3-0 lead, drops Game Three


10:22 PM EDT on Friday, May 22, 2009

BY ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer

PROVIDENCE Not like this.

That's what the 7,474 Providence fans were thinking when they left the Dunkin Donuts Center Friday night after watching Game Three of the AHL Eastern Conference finals.

Not like this.

The P-Bruins blew a 3-0 lead and a 4-2 third-period advantage, falling 6-4, to Hershey in an exciting, action-packed game from start to finish.

"It is disheartening," Providence center Jeff Penner said of the loss. "You can't sit back against a good team like them and that's what happened."

"It was an opportunity lost that we had here tonight," Providence coach Rob Murray said.

The P-Bruins should have won the game, but they allowed the Bears to steal this one and Providence now trails Hershey, 2-1, in the best-of-seven series.

"It was very much a game of momentum," Murray added. "We had it and lost it."

Game Four will be played Sunday at 7:05 p.m. at the Dunk. Hershey scored four third-period goals on 12 shots.

"This will motivate us for the next game," Penner said. "It's disheartening but it makes us angry and it will motivate us."

Hershey's Alex Giroux (2 goals) outdueled Penner (2 goals, 1 assist), who gave Providence a 4-2 lead on a 4-on-3 power play 38 seconds in the third period.

But Hershey was not going to be denied. Andrew Gordon cut Providence's lead to 4-3 with a goal 5:32 into the final period, and just over a minute later, Giroux tied the game up at 4-4.

Graham Mink scored the game-winning goal with 6:02 remaining in the game to stun the home crowd, and Bryan Helmer added an insurance goal with 34.7 seconds left.

It was a shock to the P-Bruins system. Murray said that the P-Bruins felt like they were going to win after Penner put them up 4-2 because "we've been strong playing with the lead all season . . . and [losing a lead] is going to happen, but to me it's unacceptable for us to give up those leads."

Providence had an outstanding opening period when they built a 2-0 lead, and the P-Bruins looked like they had the game in-hand after Peter Schaefer scored 3:01 into the second period.

But Giroux scored 25 seconds later, and Chris Bourque slashed Providence's lead to 3-2 by the end of the second period, giving the Bears the momentum.

Providence goalie Tuukka Rask and Hershey netminder Michal Neuvirth each recorded 26 saves.

Yup, they gave one away last night. The first period was outstanding. Even the second wasn't bad. But it looked like they stopped playing in the third thinking they might cruise to a win and Hershey showed us why they have been so good all year. They never quit. Even with the lead, they out skated us. We should have put this one away. On to Sunday.....

The first period was some of the most fun I've had in the playoffs. The mood was so electric, and then to have our boys scoring first (and then second), it was just incredible. They skated hard, they checked hard, they did everything well. Then they spend most of the second period in their own zone, and that's never a good sign. When they first came out in the third, I thought that they were going to repeat the first period, but the it became evident that since the first period they thought they could coast. This isn't a division game where all teams were low in points!

I hate to say it, but if they don't win tomorrow... it's a very, very, long and hard road back. I don't know that it would be possible.

Last night was the most stunned I've felt leaving the Dunk after a game. They really let one slip away..... 4 goals in the period by Hershey there is no excuse for that. Rob Murrary by his comments knows that they blew a huge chance to take control of the series. The Bruins are a young team but I hope they don't look back and regret there play in the 3rd period. Here are my obeservations:

1.) Hershey all week talked about having 4 good really lines and wearing the Bruins down as the games and series went on. The 2nd half of the 2nd period the Bruins looked exhausted like it was the end of the the 3rd period. They were'nt skating or hitting.

2.) Adam McQuaid is playing with some type of injury. Everybody has bumps and bruises this time of year but he has something more than that. He can't move that well and is not taking the body as hard as he usually does.

3.) Jeff Penner is starting to really blossom.

4.) We need to see more of Levi Nelson.

We need a win Sunday night.

This is one of the huge reasons that Hershey is such a threat and been doing so well. They have had the same veteran lines for a bit. Just put that against our mostly rookie team and that's a huge difference. Personally, I'm so proud of our team to get where they are. They weren't even supposed to make the playoffs this season! They are a great group of guys, and I'm so glad that we'll see more then a few back next season. Oh, and I'm not counting us out.

The big thing that they did in the first two lines was shut down the Aucoin line. They didn't do that last night. That was what came back and caused the loss.