(providencebruins.com) – Tyler Randell set the tone early, showing fans it would be a good night for some tough hockey, when he threw a few punches just 1:32 into the game. While the P-Bruins looked ready to fight, the Falcons looked ready to get points on the board when they scored the first goal of the night.
Providence faced another set back when forward Ben Sexton went into the boards and left the game on a stretcher at 11:06. Just 14 seconds after Sexton was taken out, teammate Cody Sylvester turned the momentum around by getting one past Springfield’s Anton Forsberg to tie the game up. Sylvester’s power play goal assisted by Brian Ferlin made it 1-1.
In the second period, Providence was dominating shots on goal and had a few good chances but couldn’t pull ahead. Spencer Asuchak finally notched another goal for the P-Bruins at 12:46 when the puck bounced off a defender’s skate. The unassisted goal put Providence up 2-1.
Desperate to keep their lead, Providence turned the momentum up once again. With a minute to go in the period, goalie Adam Morrison had a great glove save that got the crowd pumped up and elicited cheers of “Let’s Go Bruins.”
Things continued to heat up in the third period as both teams dished out some pretty good hits and were eager to keep the fighting alive. Springfield remained determined, and 4:13 into the period Riley Wetmore made it 2-2, bringing the game to another tie.
Providence answered the Springfield goal at 7:35 when Jared Knight got the pass from Cory Kane and beat Forsberg for a shorthanded goal. Providence took the lead back with the score 3-2.
It looked like it was all over when Springfield pulled their goalie with 1:07 remaining, but with just 34.4 seconds left in regulation, Wetmore tipped in a goal, sending the game into a seven minute sudden death overtime.
But overtime didn’t last long. Tommy Cross netted the game winning goal just 36 seconds into overtime. Cross’s goal, with an assist by Frankie Simonelli, earned Providence the win with the final score 4-3.
