HARTFORD — Like day and night. Or hot and cold. Or winning and losing.

Such was the contrast for the Providence Bruins between the last night’s 4-2 Atlantic Division Game Two quarterfinal win over the Hartford Wolf Pack and Wednesday’s 5-1 embarrassment in the opener.

Providence, which never trailed, got goals from four different players, beginning with defenseman Sean Curry. His goal at 7:55 of the opening period gave the P-Bruins a lead they would never relinquish.

“We definitely weren’t ready the other night,” said Curry, who earned the game’s first star. “Tonight, we came focused.”

The win enabled the P-Bruins to square the best-of-seven series at a game apiece. In the process, it gave them home-ice advantage as the series shifts to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center for the next three games, beginning tonight.

“It’s always about the next game,” said assistant captain Nate Thompson. “It’s great that we have home ice. But it’s not going to get any easier at home. It’s going to be the same battle, and the same team coming at us. We’ve (just) got to keep playing our game.”

The P-Bruins’ swift start resulted in a 2-0 first-period lead. Providence led, 3-1, after two periods.

All three of those goals began as blasts from blue-liners, with Curry having a hand in two of those.

Curry got things going. After stopping a Hartford clearing attempt at the right point, he moved up to the circle, then snapped off a shot that beat Pack goalie Al Montoya.

“I had all the time in the world,” said Curry. “I just walked down. I think ‘Pelts’ (Pascal Pelletier) and somebody else put up a great screen on the goalie. I just found a hole, and put it away.”

Said Providence coach Scott Gordon, who encourages his defensemen to take the offensive when the opportunity arises, “It came right to him, and he (went) right down, and made a great shot. All our defensemen did a good job of getting their shots off. Particularly on the power play.”

Later in the period, Providence received an extended 5-on-3 advantage. The P-Bruins cashed in on the opportunity at 17:16, when Ryan Glenn’s drive from 40 feet deflected off Sean Bentivoglio and bounced past Montoya. David Krejci also drew an assist, one of three he collected in the game.

The teams swapped tallies in the second, with Hugh Jessiman bringing Hartford to within 2-1 at 6:05, after a scramble in front of P-Bruin netminder Hannu Toivonen, who turned in a solid 22-save effort.

The P-Bruins answered at 18:10, Curry wound up from the left side and banked in a shot off Pelletier’s skate.

Hartford pressed hard in the third period, outshooting the P-Bruins, 14-3. The Pack made matters tight when Nigel Dawes, who piled up five points in Game One, polished off a three-way passing play to make it 3-2 with 7:06 to play.

But Providence weathered the pressure, then put the game away with Nate DiCasmirro’s empty-netter with 20.1 seconds to go.

“It’s great to go home, tied 1-1,” said Curry. “We’ll have our fans behind us, and all the boys are excited.”

Providence

2 1 1 — 4

Hartford

0 1 1 — 2

First period — 1, Pro, Curry (Krejci, Packard), 7:55. 2, Pro, Benitovoglio (Glenn, Krejci), 17:16 (pp).

Second period — 3, Hart, Jessiman, 6:05. 4, Pro, Pelletier (Curry, Leach), 18:10 (pp).

Third period — 5, Hart, Dawes, (Immonen, Bourret), 12:54. 6, Pro, DiCasmirro (Krejci, Leach), 19:39 (en).

Shots on goal — Pro 6-6-3—15; Hart 4-6-14—24. Power plays — Pro 2 of 5, Hart 0 of 5. Goalies — Pro, Toivonen (24 shots, 22 saves); Hart, Montoya (14 shots, 11 saves). A—2,827.