ALBANY — Rookies Zach Boychuk and Mike Murphy stepped up to spark the Albany River Rats past Providence, 3-1 on Saturday night to extend their season-high winning streak to six games, also snapping the Bruins’ win skein at five games.
Boychuk scored an unassisted, go-ahead goal in the second period and Murphy made 33 saves to pace the Rats (16-10-1-2), who are unbeaten in their past eight games (7-0-1-0).
Collecting in the puck off a turnover, the right wing sped down left wing and fired a shot over goalie Danny Sabourin and the puck caromed off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net 14:09 into the second period.
Boychuk also assisted on rookie center Stefan Chaput’s first-period goal as the Rats scored first for the fifth consecutive game.
Left wing Nicolas Blanchard added an empty-net goal with 2.9 seconds remaining.
Murphy, in his first start since backstopping Albany to a 4-1 victory at Adirondack last Saturday, stopped all 24 shots he faced in the final two periods against Providence to secure the win.
Providence goalie Dany Sabourin, coming off a 35-save effort in a 3-0 victory over Lowell on Friday, stopped 26 of 28 shots faced against Albany.
Earlier Saturday, goalie Michael Leighton was sent down to Albany by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Leighton will be placed on re-entry waivers on Sunday at noon, and can be claimed by another NHL team until Tuesday at noon. If he isn’t taken during waivers, he can be reclaimed by Carolina.
A two-time AHL goalie of the year, the 28-year-old Leighton has appeared in seven games with the Hurricanes this season, faring 1-4-0 with a 4.29 goals against average. The nine-year pro is a veteran of 76 NHL games with Carolina, Philadelphia and Chicago,
The Rats, who don’t play at home again until two days after Christmas (against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday, Dec. 27), travel today to play at Hartford at 4 p.m.