Rocket Finally End T-Birds' Playoff Win Streak, Tie Series 1-1
Published on June 5, 2022 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Thunderbirds News Release
Springfield Thunderbirds battle the Laval Rocket
(Springfield Thunderbirds)
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Springfield Thunderbirds finally suffered their first loss of the Calder Cup Playoffs on Sunday, falling 4-2 to the Laval Rocket at the MassMutual Center. The series now heads north of the border all tied at one game apiece.
It took both teams 35 minutes to break a scoreless tie in Game 1, but the Rocket would not wait anywhere near that long to jump to a lead in the second game. Jesse Ylonen broke in on the right wing side and pulled up along the wall, allowing his centerman, Brandon Gignac, to crash the goal mouth. Without any hesitation, Gignac deflected the center pass in between the legs of T-Birds netminder Charlie Lindgren to give Laval the 1-0 lead at 5:26.
That line would not be done doing offensive damage, either. 5:40 later, Ylonen and Gignac again broke in over the right side. This time, Ylonen faked as if he was passing to Gignac before letting a wrist shot fly that squeezed in off Lindgren's glove to make it 2-0 at 11:06.
Despite the multi-goal deficit, Springfield again proved they were far from rattled. MacKenzie MacEachern got his club back within a goal at 14:42 as he took a cycling pass from Will Bitten and wrapped the puck around the goal and found a way to bank it off Cayden Primeau and across the line, cutting the Rocket lead to 2-1 at 14:42. The goal was MacEachern's fifth of the postseason, the most among all T-Birds skaters in the playoffs.
The Rocket would not allow Springfield to take back any more momentum, though, and Alex Belzile restored the two-goal Rocket lead just 3:05 into the third as he slipped in behind the T-Birds' coverage to tap home a cross-crease feed from Danick Martel to make it 3-1 Laval.
The two clubs traded five power-play chances back and forth in the middle frame, but the penalty killers all succeeded in their endeavors to keep the score unchanged in 5-on-4 scenarios. However, the Rocket would find more insurance as Rafael Harvey-Pinard picked up his first goal of the postseason on a nifty 2-on-1 pass by Ylonen at 18:09. Ylonen's helper was his third point of Game 2 and the visitors carried a 4-1 lead into the third.
Springfield had thoughts of another magical comeback when Hugh McGing stole a puck in the trapezoid from Primeau and found Klim Kostin for a one-time goal just 2:24 into the final period, making it 4-2. Despite that boost and a 14-3 shot advantage in the final period, though, Primeau and the Rocket locked things down defensively and completed the road victory, improving to 3-0 in these playoffs after dropping a game.
The full remaining schedule for the Eastern Conference Finals is as follows - games marked with an asterisk (*) will be played only if necessary. MGM Springfield will host a Watch Party for Game 3 for T-Birds fans at its outdoor Plaza and at TAP Sports Bar.
Game 3: Wednesday, June 8 - Thunderbirds @ Rocket, 7:00 p.m.
Game 4: Friday, June 10 - Thunderbirds @ Rocket, 7:00 p.m.
Game 5: Saturday, June 11 - Thunderbirds @ Rocket, 7:00 p.m.
Game 6*: Monday, June 13 - Rocket @ Thunderbirds, 7:05 p.m. - Click Here for Tickets
Game 7*: Wednesday, June 15 - Rocket @ Thunderbirds, 7:05 p.m. - Click Here for Tickets
Thunderbirds playoff tickets are on sale now! To purchase your seats, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.
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 Springfield Thunderbirds battle the Laval Rocket |
American Hockey League Stories from June 5, 2022
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