Coach Brad Larsen was displeased with the team's play.
Springfield Falcons coach Brad Larsen said the team's play was unacceptable in a 6-3 loss to the Providence Bruins Friday night.
By MIKE SCANDURA
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – On paper, a case could be made that it was too little too late for the Springfield Falcons in Friday night’s game against the Providence Bruins.
The Falcons spotted Providence a 3-0 lead after two periods and then erupted for three goals in the third before bowing, 6-3.
Don’t try to make that case to Springfield coach Brad Larsen.
“It wasn’t too little too late, it was too little,” Larsen said. “It’s completely unacceptable how this group played tonight. They know it. I know they know it.
“We started flat. (Providence) dictated the play and we were not sharp. The puck management was terrible tonight. Our execution was nowhere close to where it’s been this season.
“This group is accountable from the goaltender on out. To a man tonight, we were nowhere near where we needed to be to play against a hungry team.
“We were so far from playing desperate hockey and that’s the difference. If you don’t play desperate, you’re not going to win.”
The P-Bruins played like a team that’s registered points in seven consecutive games by torching Springfield for three goals in the second period in every way possible: On a power play, short-handed and at even strength.
Springfield appeared to catch a break when Chris Bourque was nailed for tripping. But Providence’s Lane MacDermid stole the puck from Falcons defenseman David Savard and beat Curtis McElhinney (23 saves) with a slap shot from the top of the left circle at 3:35 for the short-handed goal.
The Falcons’ John Moore was in the box for interference when the P-Bruins scored their power-play goal.
Bourque’s shot was blocked by McElhinney but the rebound came directly to Jamie Tardif who buried the rebound at 11:43.
Tomas Kubalik ignited Springfield’s rally when he flipped the rebound of a Dalton Smith shot by Niklas Svedberg (30 saves) at 2:46 of the third period.
Nick Drazenovic followed suit 18 seconds later when he scored on a wrist shot from the left circle.
Providence got one goal back, which increased its lead to 4-2, at 7:46 when Tardif scored.
Springfield countered at 9:34 when Cam Atkinson scored his 14th goal. But the P-Bruins again went ahead by two goals, at 5-3, when Ryan Spooner scored on a clean breakaway at 12:51.
Tardif completed a hat trick by sailing the puck into an empty net with 23 seconds remaining.
“We’re 23 games in and I don’t recall a game that was as poor as this,” Larsen said. “I just feel like I’m going to have to put this game out of my mind. “I’m looking for a big response tomorrow (Saturday when Springfield hosts St. John’s).”