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AHL Springfield Thunderbirds

Power Play Rekindles as T-Birds Dispatch Wolf Pack

February 23, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Thunderbirds News Release


Springfield Thunderbirds celebrate win
Springfield Thunderbirds celebrate win
(Springfield Thunderbirds)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The Springfield Thunderbirds (24-20-3-2) got a boost from their power play and outlasted the Hartford Wolf Pack (26-17-5-1) for a 6-3 win on Friday night before a fourth consecutive sellout crowd of 6,793 inside the MassMutual Center.

The I-91 rivalry saw both teams come out swinging in more ways than one in a wild first period in front of the sold-out Thunderdome. A big hit by Jake Leschyshyn on Keean Washkurak awakened former Hartford blueliner Hunter Skinner, who set the tone with a definitive fight decision over Leschyshyn shortly after the hit. The T-Birds penalty kill gladly dispatched the extra instigator minor against Skinner, and the game hit the midway point of the first period still scoreless thanks to the early work of goaltenders Dylan Garand for Hartford and Colten Ellis for Springfield.

A giveaway in the defensive zone cost Springfield at the 10:57 mark, as former St. Louis Blue Tyler Pitlick intercepted a breakout pass, spun, and beat Ellis on the stick side to make it a 1-0 Hartford lead.

Just 38 seconds later, another mismanaged puck hurt the home team as Nikolas Brouillard picked off a loose puck and got a shot through traffic. Though Ellis made the first denial, Matthew Robertson crept up on the play and deposited the rebound into a yawning net at 11:35 to extend the Wolf Pack lead to 2-0.

The Wolf Pack did not help their cause though, as back-to-back penalties gave Springfield a 5-on-3 for more than a minute, and just five seconds after the onset of the two-man advantage, Dylan Coghlan funneled a wrist shot through Garand for his 12th of the season, cutting the lead to 2-1 at 12:30, just 55 seconds after the Robertson goal.

Not even two minutes later, with time dwindling on the remaining 5-on-4 time, Coghlan forced a shot through traffic, and the puck took a fortuitous bounce over to Adam Gaudette in the left circle. The AHL's leading goal scorer immediately launched a quick release over Garand's shoulder, and the man advantage's 2-for-2 start got the game equalized, 2-2, at 14:21.

The 2-2 score carried into the early stages of the second before another 5-on-3 presented itself for Springfield. This time, Jakub Vrana cranked a one-timer from the point. The heavy shot ricocheted off Matthew Peca and back into the slot, where Ryan Suzuki poked it behind Garand into a gaping net to make it 3-2 at 7:46.

Hartford, playing its third game in three nights, did not go away quietly, and just 19 seconds into the third period, Pitlick chipped home his second of the night off a setup from Brett Berard, bringing the game to another tie, 3-3.

6:30 later, in need of a change in momentum, rookie Zach Dean provided just that, moving to the middle of the ice off a kick pass on the right-wing wall by Will Bitten and firing a wrister over Garand to make it 4-3 Springfield.

Moments after he was denied by Garand on a full-ice breakaway, Joey Duszak gave Springfield a 5-3 lead at 13:01, intercepting a clearing attempt in the right circle and picking the top corner for his second goal in as many games.

Gaudette extended his goal-scoring lead with his 27th of the campaign into an empty net at 17:29, giving Springfield its third straight win in the season series against Hartford and its fourth win in the last five games overall.

The T-Birds continue the three-game weekend on Saturday for Military Appreciation Night presented by King Gray Coach Lines. Springfield hosts the Providence Bruins for a 7:05 p.m. puck drop with another sellout crowd on tap.

Fans can reserve seats for Thunderbirds hockey action throughout the 2023-24 season by calling (413)-739-GOAL (4625) or visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.

-- SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS -

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Springfield Thunderbirds celebrate win
Springfield Thunderbirds celebrate win
   



American Hockey League Stories from February 23, 2024


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