PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Alexander Khokhlachev and Frank Vatrano each had two goals as the Providence Bruins defeated the Portland Pirates 6-4 Friday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

Anton Blidh’s slapshot past screened Portland goalie Sam Brittain with 9:21 left gave the Bruins the lead for good, 5-4.

Khokhlachev added an empty-netter in the final minute.

The Bruins went ahead 2-0 in the first period when Colby Cave scored short-handed at 8:24 and Vatrano scored at 11:30 with each team down a skater on coincidental minor penalties.

The Pirates responded with three unanswered goals over the final 6:11 of the period beginning with Chase Balisy at 13:49. Rob Schremp followed at 15:01 and Greg McKegg at 18:32.

The Pirates, who were 0 for 3 on the power play in the first, had a goal waved off in the because of incidental contact with Bruins goalie Malcolm Subban.

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After the Pirates killed off three consecutive penalties in the first half of the second period, Khokhlachev redirected a shot by Chris Castro at 10:44 to tie it at 3.

Vatrano, a rookie from the University of Massachusetts, got his 10th goal and sixth against Portland, when he beat Brittain with 5:47 left in the period.

Schremp put in a backhander following a faceoff 3:19 into the third period to tie it at 4. It was Schremp’s fifth goal.

The Pirates held the league’s best power-play team to 0 for 7 after the Bruins entered the game 11 of 30 (37 percent) with the man advantage.

Subban finished with 32 saves, while Brittain stopped 30.


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