Bruins hand Wolf Pack second straight loss

Brady Lyle had a goal and an assist, and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves as the Providence Bruins defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 5-2 Sunday at the XL Center in Hartford.

The loss was the second straight for the Wolf Pack after a pair of season-opening victories, and dropped Hartford to 1-1-0-0 in two home games on the year.

Oskar Steen, Cameron Hughes and Joona Koppanen also scored for Providence, and Zach Senyshyn added an empty-net goal. Paul Carey and Samuel Asselin had two assists apiece.

Morgan Barron and Ty Ronning had the Wolf Pack goals.

After a scoreless first period, the two teams combined for three goals in the first 4:07 of the second, including a pair 25 seconds apart by the Bruins in the opening 45 seconds.

Steen put the Bruins in front at the 20-second mark, burying a pass by Anton Blidh from the right-wing corner past Wolf Pack goaltender Tyler Wall.

Hughes then doubled the lead at 45 seconds, on a similar play.

Barron got the Wolf Pack on the scoreboard at 4:07, with his second goal in four games. Lyle then restored the two-goal margin with what turned out to be the game-winner at 14:27.

Moments later, Wall was lifted from the game and replaced by Dylan Garand, who went on to stop eight of the nine shots he faced in his first pro appearance.

The only puck to get by Garand was Koppanen’s second goal of the season, which increased the Bruins’ lead to 4-1 at 5:13 of the third period. Garand stopped Carey’s shot from the right-wing side, but the rebound went off of Garand’s stick right to Koppanen at the left side of the slot.

Ronning got that one back for the Wolf Pack only 2:01 later, at 7:14, taking a pass from Will Cuylle, moving down right wing and beating Swayman’s catching glove with a snap shot.

Senyshyn put the game out of reach, though, with 24.8 seconds left and Garand on the bench for an extra attacker.