(Photo credit: Boston Bruins) Tommy Cross got his first career AHL goal on the power play in the second period to give the Providence Bruins a 5-0 lead over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

The Sound Tigers did come out with a response to start the second and tested goalie Niklas Svedberg firing 10 second period shots in the process. But the Sweedish netminder held strong and Providence added two more goals late in the middle stanza – including one on the power play – to take a 5-0 lead.

Craig Cunningham scored his second of the contest at 12:08 and Tommy Cross netted his first career AHL goal – on the man advantage – at 16:36.

– As noted in the first period reaction, the P-Bruins are playing shorthanded tonight with several players going up to Boston for training camp. While some thought this could be a setback for tonight, they are certainly surprising many people with their effort through 40 minutes.

– After little test in the first, Svedberg was tested and tested often in the first few minutes of the second. The Providence goalie was moving well between the pipes and help Bridgeport to very few second chance opportunites.

– Throughout the contest, the P-Bruins have been working very hard in front of Sound Tigers netminder Anders Nilsson, and that was evident on Cunningham’s goal. With momentum seemingly shifting to Bridgeport, Cunningham’s line continued to fire pucks in front of him for a good 30-45 seconds and were finally rewarded with a goal in the dirty area. Those high percentage opportunities have paid dividends tonight.

– Will the Sound Tigers drop the gloves to try to get something going or will they live to fight another day? Nathan McIver seemed to have wanted to drop the gloves again, but none of the Baby B’s would oblige in the middle twenty. We’ll see if they try to do so again in the third.