SPRINGFIELD, Mass- The Springfield Falcons broke a dismal 17-game winless skid Jan. 2 by defeating Providence, 2-1, in front of 3,463 fans.

Center Rob Hisey scored his third goal as a Falcon, with assists from Wingers Colton Fretter and Charles Linglet at 7:37 into the first. Fretter tallied 10 minutes later with assists from Linglet and Falcons’ Captain Dean Arsene.

Bruins’ Captain Trent Whitfield answered with a power play goal at eleven seconds left in the second to end the scoring.

Falcons goalie Devan Dubnyk returned from the NHL Edmonton Oilers to stop 33 of 34 shots and get named the game’s first star. Linglet, an AHL All-Star, was the game’s second star and Fretter named the third.

The weekend was not a complete turn around for the struggling Falcons as they fell to the Devils 5-2 the next day in Lowell. Liam Reddox scored his fifth and Colin McDonald his seventh goal for the Falcons in the first and second respectively.

The Devils scored first at 6:12 in the first and followed with three tallies in the second and a final nail in the coffin with three minutes left in regulation. Devils’ Winger Patrick Davis earned the game’s first star with his ninth and 10^th goals of the season 46 seconds apart in the second period.   

Contact brad.marr@prohockeynews.com