Nick Drazenovic assisted on all four Falcon goals.
Springfield's Nick Drazenovic, left, tries to pass the puck past and Providence Bruin Kyle Mackinnon in first period action at the MassMutual Center.
SPRINGFIELD - With at least six players vying for National Hockey League jobs with the Columbus Blue Jackets, it's up to the remainder of the Springfield Falcons to hold down the fort for a few days.
On Friday, forward Cam Atkinson and defenseman John Moore were summoned by the Blue Jackets. A day later, forwards Matt Calvert and Ryan Johansen and defensemen David Savard and Tim Erixon joined them, as Columbus prepares to open training camp Sunday following the lengthy NHL lockout.
The first of what should be only two games without all six players went smoothly Saturday, in front of a season-high crowd of 6,497 at the MassMutual Center.
Cody Goloubef broke a 1-1 tie with his first goal of the season, and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault provided two insurance goals, as the Falcons defeated the Providence Bruins 4-2 in American Hockey League action before 6,497 at the MassMutual Center.
"We've got a good group of guys top to bottom here," Goloubef said. "It doesn't matter who's coming up or who's going down."
Nick Drazenovic assisted on all four goals - the third four-point game by a Falcon this season - while captain Ryan Craig had a goal and two assists. Atkinson also had four assists - an AHL season-high held by several other players - Nov. 11 against Norfolk.
"Everyone moves up the ladder," Drazenovic said. "Lots of guys will get lots of opportunities now."
Allen York needed to make just 23 saves for his second victory of the season.
Saturday's attendance was the most since 6,789 saw the Falcons (20-9-3-3) - who are now 11 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 1997-98 season - defeat the Bruins 3-1 last March 31.
Goloubef wristed a shot from millimeters inside the blue line, and the puck somehow found its way through traffic to put the Falcons ahead 2-1 with 3:25 left in the first period.
Audy-Marchessault tallied on another man advantage late in the second period to give the Birds some breathing room. The Falcons have scored power-play goals in seven consecutive games.
"We hit a real dry spell there (on the power play) for about 10 games," Falcons coach Brad Larsen said. "The numbers weren't nice, let's put it that way."
Springfield put the game away 8:26 into the third, as Audy-Marchessault later upped his season goal total to 13, one-timing a behind-the-net pass from Craig.
Craig struck first for the Falcons, converting a nice cross-crease pass from Drazenovic for a power-play tally 7:32 into the contest.
Providence's goals came from Torey Krug in the first period, to make it 1-1, and from Wes O'Neill with 8.9 seconds left in the game.
York got the start after Curtis McElhinney was scratched - possibly for a recall to Columbus - and former UMass goalie Paul Dainton was recalled from Evansville of the ECHL.
Falcons president and general manager Bruce Landon said before the game that he expects Columbus to start finalizing its opening-night roster by Thursday, after which some of the six call-ups will likely return to Springfield.
"You're gonna lose players," Larsen said. "Every team is going through the same scenario as we are now."