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AHL Springfield Thunderbirds

T-Birds Offense Overwhelms Bears, 8-1, for 5th Straight Win

November 1, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Thunderbirds News Release


Aleksi Saarela receives congratulations from the Springfield Thunderbirds bench
Aleksi Saarela receives congratulations from the Springfield Thunderbirds bench
(Springfield Thunderbirds)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Springfield Thunderbirds (7-4-0-0) offense dominated the entirety of the game, dismantling the Hershey Bears (4-4-1-1) by a final score of 8-1 on Friday night at the MassMutual Center, the Thunderbirds' fifth consecutive triumph.

An evenly-matched first period began on a positive note for the T-Birds, who scored the first tally just 3:38 into the first in milestone fashion. Aleksi Saarela recorded his first point as a T-Bird as he carried over the left-wing side into the offensive zone. With two men breaking to the net, Saarela lifted a saucer pass right to the tape of captain Paul Thompson, who crashed the net and cashed in past Pheonix Copley for his third goal of the season. The goal doubled as Thompson's 100th point as a Thunderbird and his 300th point of his AHL career.

Springfield's power play, coming off a 2-for-4 performance on Sunday, had two chances in the opening frame to extend the lead, but the Hershey penalty kill stiffened to keep their deficit to a single goal. With five minutes left in the first, Hershey pulled even on a snap shot from Axel Jonsson-Fjallby from the right circle. The shot eluded T-Birds starter Chris Driedger to pull the game even, 1-1, into the first intermission.

The Thunderbirds came out of the gates swinging almost immediately in the second period. After the Thunderbirds kept the Bears hemmed in their zone for well over a minute, a fresh Henrik Borgstrom jumped off the bench, navigated behind the net in the right corner, and tucked it past Copley at the 3:52 mark to put Springfield back in front, 2-1.

Less than a minute later, Saarela lit the lamp for his first goal as a Thunderbird, crashing the net to finish a perfect tic-tac-toe passing play from Daniel Audette and Thompson to extend the lead to 3-1 at 4:36.

The onslaught continued at 7:07 with Anthony Greco and Joel Lowry entering the offensive zone with possession. After Greco hit Lowry on the left wing side, Dominic Toninato crashed the back post, and Lowry found him with a seeing-eye pass. From in tight, Toninato elevated a backhand through Copley to extend the lead to 4-1.

The captain would not be done on the same evening of his 100th point, and after taking an around-the-world tour of the offensive zone, he completed the journey with a snap over the shoulder of Copley at 17:47 for his second goal and third point of the night to complete the four-goal period with Springfield in front, 5-1.

After five even-strength goals, the Thunderbirds got into the act shorthanded when Greco took a pass from Lowry and snapped a wrist shot past Copley at the 1:09 mark of the third. Greco would add a second goal in the final period when Lowry set him up for another rip from the left-wing cricle at 14:14 to make it 7-1.

After being kept off the scoresheet to that point, Owen Tippett and Kevin Roy each picked up a point when a Roy wrist shot hit the crossbar behind Copley, shot out to Tippett, where the rookie winger snapped it right back to the net to end the 8-1 onslaught with 4:34 to play.

The Thunderbirds will have a chance to tie their team record for longest win streak when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins come to town on Saturday night for Roberto Luongo Night at the MassMutual Center. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.

For more ticket information or to become a 2019-20 Springfield Thunderbirds ticket package member, or to purchase single game tickets, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.

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Aleksi Saarela receives congratulations from the Springfield Thunderbirds bench
Aleksi Saarela receives congratulations from the Springfield Thunderbirds bench
   

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