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AHL Springfield Thunderbirds

Ice-O-Topes Rout Bruins in Front of Sellout Crowd

February 12, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Thunderbirds News Release


SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Springfield Ice-O-Topes (25-14-5-1) dominated from start to finish in a 5-1 triumph over the Providence Bruins (19-13-3-3) on Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 6,793 inside the MassMutual Center.

The top line for Springfield nearly got the club on the board early on as both James Neal and Matthew Peca found themselves with close-in chances near the crease, but Providence netminder Kyle Keyser came up with the pair of denials.

Charlie Lindgren drew the net for the Ice-O-Topes, and while he only faced five shots in the first, one of them was a slot chance by Joona Koppanen that required the right-glover to slide to his right and snag the puck with an outstretched arm.

Keyser's night would only get busier in the second, as the Ice-O-Topes reached 20 shots in the game just barely past the five-minute mark of the second. Providence's penalty kill silenced Springfield's power play twice, but the Bruins had few answers for a period of five-on-five fury from the 'Topes.

Calle Rosen would finally crack Keyser on Springfield's 25th shot of the evening at 10:55 of the period. Rosen received a feed from Mackenzie MacEachern in the right circle, glided toward the goal, then tucked it on his backhand around Keyser at the far post to give Springfield the 1-0 lead.

Just 1:50 later, the top line flexed their muscles as Sam Anas peeled a puck off the left-corner wall and slid it to Matthew Peca in the left circle. With no hesitation, Peca slammed a one-timer through a James Neal screen that got through Keyser on the glove side, extending the lead to 2-0 on Peca's 16th goal and 39th point of the season.

With time waning in the period and Springfield nearing 30 shots for the game in just 40 minutes, Drew Callin added one more for good measure with just 37 seconds left on the clock in the middle frame. After receiving a drop pass from Alexei Toropchenko in the high slot, Callin rang it off the post behind Keyser's glove, but alertly located the rebound and slipped it through the goalie's legs for his third of the season and a 3-0 lead for the Ice-O-Topes after two.

Peca added another tally off a beautiful centering feed from Neal in the trapezoid at 3:46 of the third to make it a 4-0 game. The Bruins would end Lindgren's shutout bid when Senyshyn beat him upstairs at 4:07 to make it a 4-1 game, but Providence would get no closer.

After going unsuccessful on their first two power plays, the man advantage struck for Springfield at 8:47, as Anas fired a pass from the right circle to Nathan Walker at the edge of the crease to make it a 5-1 game on Walker's 17th of the season. Anas picked up his third helper of the night on the play.

Springfield gets a long break before their next contest in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Feb. 19 against the Penguins. They return home on Feb. 23 to face Bridgeport.

For more information on the Springfield Thunderbirds and to order tickets, please visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com. To learn more about becoming a Thunderbirds ticket member, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) to speak to a Thunderbirds representative.

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