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AHL Springfield Thunderbirds

Coghlan Comes up Clutch in T-Birds' 5th Straight Win

November 4, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Thunderbirds News Release


Springfield Thunderbirds' Zachary Bolduc, Dylan Coghlan and Hugh McGing on game night
Springfield Thunderbirds' Zachary Bolduc, Dylan Coghlan and Hugh McGing on game night
(Springfield Thunderbirds)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The Springfield Thunderbirds (6-4-0-0) fought back from a pair of deficits and stole the extra point in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (4-4-2-0) on Saturday night inside the MassMutual Center.

On a night when the T-Birds honored their former captain Tommy Cross, it was Lehigh Valley captain Garrett Wilson who tried to quiet the patrons early, slamming home a rebound at 4:01 of the first. Samu Tuomaala whipped a cross-ice pass to Elliot Desnoyers in the right circle. Malcolm Subban quickly pushed across the crease to make the save, but Wilson was in the right place to push the rebound into a yawning net to make it 1-0 Phantoms.

That 1-0 lead would carry into the intermission, as Parker Gahagen turned away the T-Birds' 10 shot attempts that reached the goal in the opening frame.

For a second straight night, Dylan Coghlan played the role of equalizer for Springfield in the middle period. Seven seconds after a power play ended, Coghlan cranked a one-time slapper that eluded Gahagen high on the glove side, and the game was tied, 1-1, at 9:50 of the second.

Lehigh Valley would have a rebuttal at the 14:30 mark on a delayed penalty, as Cooper Marody bounced a pass up the ice to Brendan Furry. With a 2-on-1 presenting itself, Furry looked off the pass and slipped a low shot through Subban's legs to make it a 2-1 game on his first goal of the season.

After the T-Birds were the team to allow a tying goal in the closing seconds of period two on Friday, they did just the opposite on Saturday as Adam Gaudette won puck possession on the left-wing wall and slid a pass to Wyatt Kalynuk at the center point position. With traffic in front of Gahagen, Kalynuk slipped a wrist shot through Gahagen's legs, getting it to barely trickle over the goal line, sending the game to the third period all even, 2-2.

A relatively quiet third period saw only 12 combined shots between the two clubs. Lehigh Valley appeared to have a great opportunity when Matthew Peca took the T-Birds' first minor penalty of the night with 1:52 to play, but the Springfield penalty kill did the job and then got off the ice on an ill-advised delay-of-game penalty on Gahagen for playing the puck in the restricted area behind the goal line.

The stalemate made its way to overtime, but this time it was the Phantoms who killed off penalty time, their fifth successful kill in as many chances for the night. However, the Phantoms' parade to the box did not end as Rhett Gardner was whistled for a hook at 1:59 of overtime. The T-Birds' sixth power play wound up being the one to end the festivities as Coghlan fired a wrist shot through a screened Gahagen, locking up the 3-2 win on his second overtime goal in three games. Gaudette and Peca scooped up the power-play assists on the winning tally.

Subban earned a win in his second straight start, needing to make just 20 saves on the evening.

The T-Birds look to complete a second consecutive 3-in-3 sweep on Sunday afternoon at the Total Mortgage Arena for a 3:00 p.m. matinee against the Bridgeport Islanders.

Fans can reserve their seats to be a part of the Thunderbirds' hockey action for the 2023-24 season by calling (413)-739-GOAL (4625) or visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.

-- SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS -

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Images from this story

Springfield Thunderbirds' Zachary Bolduc, Dylan Coghlan and Hugh McGing on game night
Springfield Thunderbirds' Zachary Bolduc, Dylan Coghlan and Hugh McGing on game night
   



American Hockey League Stories from November 4, 2023


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