
T-Birds' Late Rally Not Enough in Laval
December 22, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Thunderbirds News Release

Springfield Thunderbirds defenseman Scott Harrington (right) vs. the Laval Rocket
(Springfield Thunderbirds)
LAVAL, QC - The Springfield Thunderbirds (12-12-2-1) had difficulty generating consistent offense, and a late third-period rally came up short in a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Laval Rocket (18-8-1-1) on Sunday afternoon at Place Bell.
As was the trend for much of the T-Birds road trip, the home team got off to a flying start in the opening period, as Vadim Zherenko was forced to face 13 Laval offerings in the first period. The T-Birds' netminder held up very well except for a 2-on-1 finish by Sean Farrell at 11:15 off a cross-ice pass from Rafael Harvey-Pinard, which gave the Rocket a 1-0 advantage.
The Rocket continued to suffocate the Springfield attack in the middle period, as the T-Birds failed to connect on a second power play chance in as many periods, while the Laval defense kept Connor Hughes' workload down, with only eight saves required for the goaltender through 40 minutes.
Zherenko stabilized for the T-BIrds in the second, helping the T-Birds kill three separate Laval power plays, and the netminder's 20 saves got Springfield to the final period still within a single shot of tying the game. Joshua Roy got the Rocket some much-needed insurance at 12:59 of the third when he arrived at the top of the crease to clean up a rebound off an Adam Engstrom shot to increase the Laval lead to 2-0.
Despite the best efforts of their goaltender, the Thunderbirds could not break through against Hughes until the final two minutes, when Matt Luff found the back of the net on a one-timer from the bottom of the left circle on a 6-on-4 advantage with Zherenko at the bench. Springfield's last-minute efforts were thwarted when Hughes alertly poked a centering pass away from a wide-open Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, leading directly to an empty-netter by Laurent Dauphin to finish the scoring.
The T-Birds return to the Thunderdome to kick off a five-game homestand after the holiday break with a Mercy Medical Center I-91 Rivalry contest against the Hartford Wolf Pack at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 27.
Interested 2024-25 season ticket members can call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn how to become a regular at the Thunderdome.
Images from this story
![]() Springfield Thunderbirds defenseman Scott Harrington (right) vs. the Laval Rocket |
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from December 22, 2024
- Wranglers Fall 3-0 to Henderson - Calgary Wranglers
- Flames Announce Interim Coaching Appointments - Calgary Wranglers
- Islanders Close Pre-Christmas Slate with a Win - Bridgeport Islanders
- Bears Grinched by Penguins in 1-0 Loss - Hershey Bears
- Heartbreak Strikes Griffins in Overtime - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Larsson Stonewalls Bears as Penguins Win, 1-0 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Hudon Named to Canada's Spengler Cup Roster - Ontario Reign
- Stars Rally to Knock off Griffins in Overtime - Texas Stars
- Monsters Announce Trio of Roster Moves - Cleveland Monsters
- Amerks Hang on to Secure 3-2 Win in Cleveland - Rochester Americans
- Svozil Sends 21,859 Teddy Bears Flying, Monsters Fall 3-2 to Amerks - Cleveland Monsters
- Win Streak Ends with 4-1 Loss to Bridgeport - Charlotte Checkers
- Jaret Anderson-Dolan Scores Lone Goal in Loss to Rockford - Manitoba Moose
- Lindbom Blanks Wranglers in 3-0 Victory - Henderson Silver Knights
- IceHogs Steamroll the Moose 5-1 in Winnipeg - Rockford IceHogs
- T-Birds' Late Rally Not Enough in Laval - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Panthers Recall Rasmus Asplund, Checkers Recall Liam Arnsby - Charlotte Checkers
- Winter Wranglerfest Game Day Preview - CGY vs HSK - Calgary Wranglers
- Game Preview: Bears vs. Penguins, 5 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- IceHogs Battle with the Moose Before the Holiday Break - Rockford IceHogs
- Reign Take Down Firebirds - Ontario Reign
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
