The Pirates fired 39 shots on net, and it was shot No. 39 that was the difference- maker as Portland skated away with a 3-2 victory in overtime over the Providence Bruins in front of 3,791.

Defenseman Evan Oberg netted the game-winner 1:36 into overtime, sniping a shot from the blue line over the glove-side shoulder of Bruins goaltender Jeremy Smith. The Pirates improved to 2-0 in overtime. 

“There were a lot of guys in front and I saw some room over top of the goalie’s shoulder and obviously he couldn’t see it, so I shot for that spot and it went in,” Oberg said. 

The Pirates (11-9) entered the game averaging about 29 shots per game. They nearly matched it in the first period, peppering Smith with 20 shots. In past games, Portland struggled to hit the 20-shot plateau.

“We’ve really worked hard on our offensive zone play,” Portland coach Ray Edwards said. “We understand what we’re trying to do. When you’re predictable (to one another) it makes it a lot easier. We played a heavy game down there.” 

Portland limited Providence (9-8-2) to just three shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes, but the Bruins capitalized on their sparse chances. They also made good on the only power play of the first period. After officials whistled Portland’s Greg Carey for holding, Providence’s Craig Cunningham lifted a backhander from the left circle over the glove-side shoulder of goaltender Mike McKenna at 14:14. 

The Pirates responded in the final minute of the period to tie the game going into the intermission. Alex Bolduc scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season as his shot from the right circle just crossed the goal line past Smith. The Providence goaltender never saw the shot as 6-foot-3 Henrick Samuelsson was positioned at the top of the crease. 

“Guys are just trying to get to the net,” Oberg said. “You have to work hard to create opportunities. I think we did that today. You have to go to rough places and battle in front of the net.” 

Samuelsson didn’t get credit for Bolduc’s goal in the stat sheet, but he did get credit when he lit the lamp at 6:37 of the second period to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead. Samuelsson blasted a one-timer from the slot off a pass from behind the net by Bolduc. Samuelsson found open ice between the circles when Jordan Martinook drew two Bruins skaters to him in the corner to the left right of Smith. Martinook found Bolduc, who quickly hit Samuelsson for the goal. 

“We were working pretty good for most of the game and, luckily, I was in the right spot at the right time and squeaked one by the goalie,” Samuelsson said. 

The Bruins more than tripled their shot total in the second period and again capitalized on the power play. Ian White knotted the game with 3:35 remaining in the frame less than a minute after Portland’s Francis Wathier was whistled for charging. 

“I thought five-on-five we were really good,” Edwards said. “If you let a time hang around, which we did, we had numerous opportunities to go up in that game either at the 1-0 spot or 2-1 spot to make it tougher on them, but we let them hang around. When you’re on the road and you can hang around, you have a chance. They had some opportunistic goals on the power play.” 

The Bruins finished 2-for-6 on the power play, while the Pirates finished 0-for-3. 

McKenna picked up his sixth win of the season, making 25 saves — 22 coming between the second and third periods. Smith suffered the loss despite making 36 saves.