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WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins needed their killer instinct to finish off the Providence Bruins in Friday’s Game 4 of the Atlantic Division semifinals.
Down 2-1 in the series and facing elimination, the Bruins needed to play with desperation.
The desperate team won.
The Penguins never recovered from a sloppy first period where they spotted Providence three goals and went on to lose 4-2.
With the series tied 2-2 and Game 5 on Sunday, both teams are now in desperation mode.
But Penguins head coach Clark Donatelli isn’t treating it that way.
“I don’t like the word desperate. We have to play the right way. Relax and play,” he said. “If we play at a high compete level we’ll be fine.”
The Penguins are 24-15 all-time when facing elimination and 16-5 in those contests at home. As the best team in the regular season, they earned home ice advantage throughout the postseason and they hope to use it on Sunday.
“It’s nice to know we’re going to have a Game 5 at home,” Tom Kostopoulos said. “The fans give us energy. We like our building.”
But the Penguins didn’t like their start on Friday.
When Teddy Blueger mishandled a pass in front of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton net and the Providence Bruins scored, it was evident the Penguins were in for a long night.
The Bruins goal came just two minutes into the opening period, and they followed it up with two more, a power-play tally and a odd-man rush, to take a big 3-0 lead into the second period.
“They were more determined. They won more battles. They played harder,” Kostopoulos said of the first period.
For their part, the Penguins didn’t help their cause. Passes missed the mark and shots were few as the Bruins had the edge, 12-6. It didn’t help that the Penguins took three penalties in the period, either.
“It’s tough. We dug ourselves a hole,” Donatelli said.
The Penguins managed to push-back late in the second, but only after the Bruins scored on a deflection to go up 4-0.
With two minutes left in the second period, Dominik Simon stole the puck from Alex Grant in the Bruins end and dished to Blueger, who atoned for his earlier miscue by burying a shot behind Bruins netminder Zane McIntyre.
Blueger’s goal made it 4-1 heading into the third period, and against one of the top goaltenders in the league, a comeback wouldn’t be easy.
The Penguins did dominate the third period and managed to chip away when Ethan Prow tipped a Cameron Gaunce shot to make it 4-2 at the midway point, but McIntyre and the Bruins shut the door the rest of the way.
With a day to prepare for Game 5, Kostopoulos said the approach for a winner-take-all game is simple.
“Regroup. Forget about this one and play hard,” he said.
Donatelli took it a step further and made a promise.
“We will be mentally ready to go in Game 5 and have a better start,” he said. “We have great leadership in the room and we’ll be fine for Game 5.”
NOTES
• Both teams combined for 35 shots in the second period, with Casey DeSmith tying the franchise record for saves in a period with 20.
• Sahir Gill and Troy Josephs replaced forwards Ryan Haggerty and Adam Krause in the lineup on Friday.
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