PORTLAND – So close but yet so far.

Between a 3-0 lead, a seven-minute power play and a two-goal lead in the final period, the Portland Pirates had every opportunity to finish off a win Saturday night, but something happened on the way.

The Providence Bruins, the same team that rallied for an improbable come-from-behind win earlier in the season, rebounded again and earned a 4-4 tie in front of 4,411 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

“We should have won the game,” said Pirates coach Tim Army. “The reality is that we had a 3-0 lead in our own building. You should win the game. You should put a team away when you’re up 3-0. There’s no excuse for not getting the job done.”

Though Portland took a quick 3-0 lead early in the second period, Providence got one back immediately on a soft Brian White goal. The Bruins were on the comeback trail from there after.

“That first goal was a bad goal,” said Army. “That let them think they had a chance in the game. That gave them an opportunity.”

Portland built a 4-2 lead midway through the final period, but Providence got a rebound goal from Bryce Cockburn with 12:49 left. Then a late two-man advantage led to the equalizer by Kevin Dallman. After Peter Metcalf hit the post, Dallman got the puck back at the point for a low shot with 2:49 left in regulation.

“We did a tremendous job killing,” said Army. “They had two shots on goal. One hit the crossbar and the other shot went in. We did a great job killing, but one shot had eyes and went in.”

An Andrej Podkonicky goal finished off a quiet opening period.

The second period certainly wasn’t as tame as the first. Three goals were scored in the first 2:29 as Portland took a 3-1 lead. Mike Pudlick one-timed a Brian Sutherby pass from the point on the power play at 1:38. Then just 28 seconds later, Graham Mink poked in the rebound of a Louis Robitaille shot.

Providence quickly got it back at 2:29 when White’s shot fluttered past a screened Rastislav Stana.

“They took the momentum in the game for the first time when they got that goal,” said Mink. “It gave them life. It took momentum away from us.”

Portland had a opportunity to add to the lead with a seven-minute power play. After a brief skirmish behind the net, Bruin goaltender Tim Thomas high-sticked Darcy Verot in the face. Thomas earned a minor for high-sticking and a match penalty for an intent to injure. Despite possessing the puck for over three minutes, the Pirates couldn’t score. Then to make matters worse, Providence got a shorthanded tally with 6:44 left in the period when Pat Leahy beat Mike Souza to redirect a Darren VanOene offering.

“It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t get a bounce,” said Mink. “After a while we’ve got to create our own bounces.”

The Pirates regained the two-goal lead with 3:18 left in the period. Sutherby tipped in a centering pass from Podkonicky for his first goal as a Pirate.

“The real disappointment was when we were up 4-2 and we let them rebound – again,” said Mink. “Maybe three weeks ago a tie would have been acceptable but right now, the way that have been going and the way we’ve been playing, we deserved to win the game and we didn’t.”

PIRATES NOTES: Sutherby was assigned to Portland when Colin Forbes was called up by Washington. Providence has four former University of Maine players on its team – Brendan Walsh, Metcalf, Robert Liscak and White. Leahy left the ice in the third period with a leg injury after being driven into the boards. The Bruins were already without former Pirate Matt Herr, the team’s leading scorer.

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