Since the end of November, the Providence Bruins have been almost a spitting image of their Parent Club. They are 7-1-1 in their last nine games and have climbed their way out of the cellar of the American Hockey League’s Atlantic Division.

Whenever a team goes on an impressive run like this, especially when they nearly go 0-for-November like Providence, it generally takes a spark plug that really gets the team going, no matter how big or small he may be. If you’re looking for one for the P-Bruins, look no further than their dynamic mighty-mite, Austin Czarnik.

With 6-5-11 totals and a plus-3 rating over that span, Czarnik has undoubtedly been Providence’s best forward, especially with Frank Vatrano and Max Talbot up with Boston and Alex Khokhlachev recently being called up and sent back down over the last week.

“I was challenged in a meeting about working harder and I think I’ve been able to do that,” Czarnik stated after his team’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this past Friday night. “[Since then] I’ve been getting rewarded with opportunities and have been scoring goals.”

In that game, Czarnik supplied all the offense for Providence, recording his first career hat trick, including his game-winner in which he picked up a rebound and fired it by Bridgeport goaltender Chris Gibson.

“It was just bounce,” Czarnik said of his third goal. “I just tried to swing at it and luckily it went in.”

Whether it was luck or not, no one can say Czarnik hasn’t had his chances. Through the nine-game stretch, Czarnik has fired 28 shots on goal and, as he stated, has been cashing in on his opportunities.

On the same night in which his teammate Frank Vatrano potted three against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Czarnik certainly made his case to a sooner-rather-than-later call-up for the Boston Bruins with his stellar performance this past Friday.

“We need scoring…and [Austin] can certainly bring that,” head coach Bruce Cassidy stated. “I know he’s a distributor of the puck, but as a small (player), he needs to be a motor, and we need him to score as well and I think he’s taken that to heart.”

Despite a noticeable size disadvantage, Czarnik certainly plays with a big heart, big enough to be labeled a “good, fierce, young player by former Miami of Ohio linemate and ex-Boston Bruin Reilly Smith.

“It’s hard to win battles against bigger guys, especially when you’re my size (5’9, about 165 lbs.),” Czarnik said. “So you have to outsmart them and close in on them when it’s you’re opportunity.

“Everything I’ve been focusing on the most is to shoot more. Even when I was in college, I really didn’t shoot that much, now I’m starting to shoot and getting rewarded and it’s all coming together.”

“He’s worked on his shot,” Cassidy continued, “[and now] he’s thinking shot.”

During this impressive run, it is no doubt that Austin Czarnik has been the spark plug the P-Bruins needed. With his hard work, tenacity and his new, shoot-first attitude, Czarnik has played his way into the conversation of being the next call-up for Boston. And thus, Providence has slowly but surely started to turn their season around.