01:00 AM EST on Monday, February 20, 2006

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

PROVIDENCE -- P-Bruins defenseman Mark Stuart emerged from the locker room two hours before yesterday's game against the top team in the American Hockey League -- the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins -- and had one thing to say: "We have to win today."

That was the understatement of the season.

Providence was riding its first three-game losing skid of the season, including one of its worst defeats -- a 4-0 loss to Hartford on Saturday. So P-Bruins coach Scott Gordon told his club what he expected yesterday.

Everyone responded in big way.

Pascal Pelletier notched his second hat trick of the season, Ben Guite had a goal and two assists, and Jay Leach, Stuart, David Lundbohm and Nate Thompson each added a goal to lead the P-Bruins to a decisive 8-3 victory over the Penguins at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

"It was real important we came out [yesterday] and got back to the things that have given us success," said Gordon. "For 60 minutes we did an outstanding job at that.

"We played with a sense of urgency. . . There was a lot of emotion and a lot of life on the bench. That carried through 60 minutes of hockey."

The high offensive output was no accident, the coach said. "We did all the right things. It wasn't the goals themselves, it was what led to the goals."

The P-Bruins were a different team from Friday and Saturday, when they lost, 3-2, to Portland and, 4-0, to Hartford.

"We weren't happy with the way we played the last three games," said Stuart. "After Saturday's game, the entire team was challenged to work harder and perform. We all came out tonight. Everybody in this locker room worked hard, and when we do that we're a tough team."

Providence was rewarded for its efforts early. Guite made a zone-to-zone rush and dropped the puck to Leach, who stepped into a one-timer from the slot and beat Wilkes-Barre goaltender Andy Chiodo for a 1-0 lead at 5:55.

The P-Bruins capitalized on their second power play of the game -- a two-man advantage -- when Guite's one-timer from the high slot made its way through traffic and past Chiodo for a 2-0 lead at 18:27 of the opening period.

The Penguins cut the deficit to one when Erik Christensen got his 17th goal of the season at 2:51 of the second period.

Providence, however, stifled Scranton's resurgence when, 18 seconds after the ensuing faceoff, it scored its third goal to take a 3-1 lead, at 3:09. Stuart gained control of the puck, swiftly made his way into the offensive zone and rifled a snap shot past Chiodo for his third goal of the season.

If that goal didn't curb the Penguins, Providence's fourth tally certainly did.

Scranton had its third man-advantage of the game when Lundbohm fought off a defender, gained control of the puck and blasted a slap shot to the top right corner for his short-handed goal at 14:04 for a 4-1 lead.

Unlike the two previous games, the P-Bruins were getting all the bounces yesterday.

Defenseman Scott Ford dumped the puck in around the boards, and Chiodo went behind his net to play it. But the puck ricocheted off the back glass and out in front for Pelletier, who knocked it home for a 5-1 Providence advantage at 15:20 of the second.

The P-Bruins added their sixth goal of the game thanks in part to Thompson's relentless effort along the boards. He was rewarded with his fifth score of the season at 8:21. Pelletier scored his second goal of the game at 10:24, and he wasn't done. He notched the hat trick just 22 seconds later to give Providence an 8-1 lead. Scranton got two power-play goals in the final five minutes.

Said Pelletier: "It was a great team effort. I can't find a guy in here who didn't show up tonight."

That was the second understatement of the night.

jmcdonal@projo.com / (401) 277-7340