After suffering 9-1 and 11-3 shellackings to open the weekend, the Fronts reset and registered an impressive 3-2 victory over the Jekyl-and-Hyde Belleville Bulls yesterday at the K-Rock Centre.

“To be honest with you, I sat here before (Sunday’s) game not knowing what to expect,” admitted Kingston coach Todd Gill. “I hadn’t been through two games with this team like Friday’s and Saturday’s, so I really didn’t know what to expect.

“But you saw the character out there (on Sunday). This was a good two points for the team. Now we have to try build off it.”

Forward Ryan Kujawinski, with two, and Conor Stokes tallied for the victors, who survived a frantic final minute in regulation as the Bulls, on their seventh power play, pulled their goalie for an extra attacker.

“It wasn’t the best bus ride home Saturday night,” noted the 16-year-old Kujawinski, who now has nine points in eight games since coming over from Sarnia in the Ryan Spooner deal. “Our leaders brought us together and helped get us refocused.”

The scene in the Kingston dressing room afterwards was one of euphoria: players singing, dancing, laughing, smiling, cackling, in short a complete reversal of the dismal mood that dampened the same chambers after Friday’s drubbing.

“We talked about the two losses and what went wrong,” noted team captain Cody Alcock, who seconds earlier was busting a few moves for bemused teammates. “We know our roles, and when we buy in to those roles, we know good things can happen.

“Everyone played well today, a real team effort from Bobber on out,” said Alcock. “That’s what we need.”

Gill echoed that statement, noting all four lines contributed equally in their own way.

Mind you, to keep things in perspective, Kingston didn’t exactly knock off a juggernaut. The beleaguered Bulls (22-22-1), near the top of the Eastern Conference standings not that long ago, have now lost five straight and 10 of their last 11.

“Our leadership hasn’t been there,” said Belleville coach and general manager George Burnett. “I’m concerned because we were in first place in the conference a month ago and now we’re in last,” he said, perhaps forgetting for the moment that the Frontenacs reside in the conference cellar, 15 points behind his troops.

“Give Kingston credit for competing hard after a tough couple of games,” he added. “They were hungrier and they got a couple of big stops from Igor (Bobkov).”

Austen Brassard and Joseph Cramarossa replied for Belleville, which outshot Kingston 37-27.

All five goals were scored in the opening period.

Bobkov, porous and pulled in both losses this weekend, rebounded splendidly.

Early in the third period, he robbed Brassard, getting his paddle on the puck as it floated toward the open half of the cage. In the final minute, he denied fellow Russian Daniil Zharkov from in close.

In the dying seconds Bulls defenceman Jordan Subban drilled the post with a 40-foot howitzer from the point. With the rebound lying in front of the open side of the net, Bobkov and seemingly every Frontenac on the ice sprawled in the crease, preserving the win.

“It was pretty crazy,” said defenceman Michael Moffat. “Me and Nix (Kyler Nixon) were in there and Bobber made a huge save with his stick.”

That the Kingston change room would be so raucous and rollicking after just the team’s 13th triumph in 46 outings didn’t surprise Moffat.

“I guess because we were so down in there (two nights ago), this (win) was such a high.

“We’ll enjoy this, have a good week of practice and hopefully be ready for our next game.”

The Fronts (13-29-2-2) travel to Peterborough on Thursday before returning home to host Oshawa and Sarnia, on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

FRONTS NOTES

The three stars were Kujawinski, Bobkov and Trevor Morbeck, with Bobkov’s late heroics elevating him from third- to second-star status. ... Gill called Kujawinski’s eventual winner, a deke from in close, “an NHL move.”