P-Bruins Takes 2-0 Lead Over Penguins

P-Bruins Release

Take a 2-0 Series Advantage Heading On The Road

Providence,
R.I. – Jamie Tardif scored two goals for the second
straight night and Niklas Svedberg
made 38 saves as the Providence Bruins
defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Penguins 4-2 Saturday at the Dunkin Donuts Center. Ryan Spooner and Chris Bourque
scored the other two Providence goals as the P-Bruins take a two-games-to-none
series lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

For the sixth time in seven
playoff games, the P-Bruins allowed the first goal. A hustle play for Warren
Peters gave him an unassisted shorthanded goal, with the puck wobbling just
over Svedberg after he slowed it down considerably. The goal came at 4:40 of
the first.  Providence tied the game at
one at the 5:48 mark. During the same penalty that led to the Penguins
shorthanded goal, Tardif and the P-Bruins scored their eighth power play strike
of the postseason.  Tardif's shot from a
juicy rebound on the far edge of the crease gave him his sixth goal of the
post-season. 
Carter Camper and Bourque recorded the assists.

One night after registering his first pro playoff goal, Spooner added another
at the 11:24 mark, which gave the home team a 2-1 advantage. Spooner skated
through the zone down low after waiting for a pass from Bourque. Tardif
registered the second assist.  Tardif
notched his second goal of the contest and fourth of the series later in the
frame at the 17:25 mark, taking a couple of shots and burying his own rebound
just past the near post.
Torey Krug
and Craig Cunningham each had
helpers on the play.

Bourque finished off the
first period scoring at the 19:31 mark with a point-blank redirection in front
of Penguins goalie Jeff Zatkoff which stretched the lead to three.
Tommy Cross and Tardif each picked up
assists on the goal.  Providence led 4-1
going into the first intermission.

The Penguins made it a 4-2
score after
Jordan Caron's penalty
for interference. With only three seconds left on the man advantage, Brian
Gibbons notched his third goal of the postseason on a deflection from the far
side of the crease at 14:17.  Paul
Thompson and Joey Mormina grabbed the assists. 
The P-Bruins led 4-2 going into the second intermission.

Neither team scored in the third period, though the Penguins had a game-high 19
shots during the frame. Svedberg's performance was exemplified by a save he
made outside the crease, falling backward onto a completely stopped puck in the
crease. Despite a six-on-five in the game's final minutes, the Penguins were
unable to score again, losing its second game in a row as the P-Bruins went
onto the 4-2 victory.

Svedberg stopped 38 of 40 shots for the P-Bruins, while Zatkoff made nine saves
and Brad Thiessen made 16 saves for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  The P-Bruins ended the game 2 for 6 on the
power play, while the Penguins were 1 for 3.

The Providence Bruins will play games three and
four in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday and Friday. Providence Bruins playoffs are
presented by 

Dunkin' Donuts.