PROVIDENCE – The Providence Bruins’ path to the playoffs just got a whole lot tougher.

The Baby B’s sit in sixth place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division, but the fifth-place team can make the postseason if it has more points that the fourth-place finisher in the East Division. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton currently sits in fourth in the East and was in Providence tonight. The Penguins entered the evening leading the Baby B’s but just one point, but after rallying from a 3-1 deficit for a 5-3 win, the Penguins now have a three-point edge.

Both teams, however, are still looking up at Bridgeport, which won in shootout tonight and has 71 points, two more than the Penguins and five ahead of Providence, which fell to 31-31-3-1.

“It’s a non-division (game), but not really anymore,” said Pens coach Todd Reirden, whose club is now 33-29-1-2 (69 points). “This was a big game for us. Providence is a well-coached team and they came out hard and definitely put us on our heels to start the game, but we were able to turn the corner. It was a game of high importance to our team. We certainly understood the magnitude of tonight. We’ve been playing playoff hockey for about the last 15 games or so. We know it’s going to be difficult and it’s going to be a battle each night, so we’re happy to get the points.”

Providence struck first when Trent Whitfield banged in the rebound of a Mikko Lehtonen shot just five seconds into a 5-on-3 power play. After the Pens tied it, Jared Ross scored on a blast from the right point and Jordan Knackstedt continued his torrid scoring at 4:25 of the second. Knackstedt redirected an Andy Wozniewski shot at the right point for his sixth goal in the last six games.

But the Penguins answered just 12 seconds later on a goal by tough guy Zach Sill, who had earlier battled Lane MacDermid in a long and entertaining scrap. Brian Strait (Waltham, Mass.) then scored his second of the year in front of his friends and family to tie it 3-3 at 7:07.

“Probably the toughest position to transition into as a young player is playing defense in the American Hockey League,” said Reirden of Strait. “But we’ve been really happy with his progress this year. He’s got a bright future in the organization. I was happy with Brian’s game tonight. Certainly he’s not evaluated on his offense, so whatever he can add in that regard, we’ll gladly take it.”

Tim Wallace put WB/S ahead early in the third, then iced the game with a short-handed tally with 5:24 left.

Providence goes to Adirondack tomorrow.