T-Birds Fall in Regular Season Finale at Providence
Published on April 16, 2023 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Thunderbirds News Release
Springfield Thunderbirds take on the Providence Bruins
(Springfield Thunderbirds)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Springfield Thunderbirds (38-26-3-5, 84 points) fell to the Providence Bruins (44-18-8-2, 98 points) in their regular season finale on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 7-3 inside Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Providence's win sealed an Atlantic Division championship; the T-Birds will be the 4-seed when they open the First Round of the Calder Cup Playoffs on Wednesday night against the 5-seed Hartford Wolf Pack.
It looked like the Bruins would run away with the game in the opening minutes, as back-to-back goals 43 seconds apart from Chris Wagner and Eduards Tralmaks staked Providence to a 2-0 lead less than eight minutes into game action.
However, the T-Birds showed their comeback fight, along with a stroke of luck, to turn the first period around. A dump-in attempt came bouncing near the back of Kyle Keyser's net. The Bruins goalie bobbled the puck, and it skittered right into the slot to Mikhail Abramov, who had a wide-open net to make it a 2-1 game at 13:58.
Just 4:04 later, and after the Bruins committed a pair of minor penalties, Will BItten cashed in his career-high 22nd goal in the paint to tie the score, 2-2, with 1:58 to go in the frame.
Vadim Zherenko stabilized after allowing the two early goals to keep the 2-2 game heading into the second, but Providence's power play restored the lead as Vinni Lettieri wired a slapper into the top shelf at 7:56 of the period, making it 3-2.
Once again, the T-Birds had a reply as Greg Printz whistled home a centering pass from Dylan McLaughlin with 3:23 left in the second to send a 3-3 tie into the final period.
The Bruins' offense proved to be too much in the final 20 minutes. Jack Ahcan netted a shorthanded goal off a rush at 3:16, and tallies from Joona Koppanen, Marc McLaughlin, and a second goal of the afternoon from Wagner helped secure the division title for Providence.
Thunderbirds fans can reserve their seats for the First Round against Hartford by calling (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.
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 Springfield Thunderbirds take on the Providence Bruins |
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