PROVIDENCE - Without defensive weapons, the Providence Bruins have found themselves on the defense throughout the American Hockey League season against the Hartford Wolfpack.

The New York Ranger farmhands, who took four of five regular season visits to Providence, took another in game No. 3 of the AHL Calder Cup Atlantic Division semifinal round series Saturday night, scoring a trio of second-period goals en route to a 5-2 victory.

"They forecheck really hard, that's the way that they play and you don't have a lot of time," said Providence forward Nate Thompson of the Wolfpack, who forced the issue by scoring goals in the first and final minutes of the second period.

Defenseman Bryce Lampman, who scored six goals through 60 games during the regular season with Hartford, scored twice within the first five minutes of the second period - snapping a shot off the glove of Providence goalie Hannu Toivonen at the 26-second mark, then converting a power play chance at 4:48.

But, to make matters worse for Providence, Hartford's Brandon Dubinsky snapped a wrist shot from atop the left face off circle that trickled through the pads of Toivonen with 36 seconds left in that second period. "We weren't efficient on our breakout," said Providence coach Scott Gordon of turnovers in the defensive zone. "I didn't like the way that we made our decisions - we have to protect the puck well."

And some of those postseason flaws are directly attributable to the absence through injury of defensemen Matt Lashoff (37 points in 64 games), Nathan Dempsey (21 points in 46 games) and Mark Stuart (20 points in 49 games).

"We have to attack," said Providence captain Jay Leach, even though the Bruins launched 29 shots at Hartford goalie Al Montoya. "Their team is about sustaining pressure. We have to attack, instead of retreat."

Providence cut Hartford's lead to 2-1 at 5:43 of the second period when Martin Karsums fired a wrist shot in the slot past Montoya, but the Bruins didn't score again until 2:26 remained when the WHL's Swift Current Broncos' leading scorer Levi Nelson tallied.

Hartford created a 4-1 lead with 4:38 left in the third period when Jarkko Immonen scored and the Wolfpack added an empty net goal by Dwight Helminen with a second left.

Providence, which was limited to one goal by Hatford in the opening game of the season, was blanked on a pair of power plays in each of the three periods.

"In the first period we had some missed coverages and he (Toivonen, 20 saves) had some unbelievable saves to keep it at 0-0," said Gordon. "Neither team has given up a lot of great chances, but in the first and second periods we have to do better. We have to forecheck more aggressively."