PROVIDENCE Keith Aucoin scored twice and Michal Neuvirth stopped 24 shots as the Hershey Bears beat the Providence Bruins, 5-1, in front of a crowd of 4,434 at the Dunkin Donuts Center Sunday afternoon. It was the third straight loss and the seventh in eight games for Providence.
The P-Bruins got off to a quick start, scoring a goal on the first shift when Mark Derlago deflected Andy Wozniewskis point shot past Neuvirth just 34 seconds into the game. It was Derlagos first of the year. Mikko Lehtonen also was credited with an assist.
Hershey tied the game at 16:39 when Aucoin, the former P-Bruin, tallied his fifth goal of the season, from Boyd Kane and Alexandre Giroux.
The defending Calder Cup champion Bears took their first lead of the game at 3:15 of the second period when Aucoin netted a power-play goal, assisted by John Carlson and Zach Miskovic.
Hershey made it a two-goal advantage at 7:37 on a power-play marker by Patrick McNeill, his second goal of the season. Giroux and Karl Alzner assisted.
The Bears went up, 4-1, at the 8:03 mark on Oskar Osalas fifth goal of the season, assisted by Jay Beagle.
Francois Bouchard added an insurance goal, his seventh of the year, with 15 seconds left in the game. Andrew Gordon was credited with an assist.
Dany Sabourin stopped 32 of 37 shots for the P-Bruins, while Neuvirth made 24 saves for the Bears. The P-Bruins were 0-for-5 on the power play and 6-for-8 on the penalty kill.
The P-Bruins hit the road for games next weekend in Syracuse, Lowell and Worcester. The next home game is Friday, Nov. 20, against Springfield.