HARTFORD, Conn. – The Springfield Thunderbirds (3-5-0-0) bounced back from a pair of defeats to finish the three-game weekend with a 5-2 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack (3-2-0-1) on Sunday at the XL Center.
The T-Birds faced challenges before the game even began, as seven lineup regulars were unavailable due to injury. Despite their shorthanded lineup, Steve Konowalchuk’s T-Birds came out with a purpose, generating a pair of power plays in the opening half of the opening period, and forcing Louis Domingue to make many great saves in tight. Domingue’s best work was when he reached back the paddle of his stick and pulled a loose puck dangerously close to the goal line.
The Wolf Pack, though, still managed to get on the board first, as top-line centerman Bo Groulx pounced on a loose puck in center, roared in on the right wing, and snapped a perfect wrist shot off the inside of the post behind Colten Ellis to make it a 1-0 game at 8:16.
That precise shot would be the only blemish on Ellis’s record in an opening period that saw the young T-Birds backstop deny 11 Hartford chances, including several on a pair of Wolf Pack power plays.
At the other end, the T-Birds’ third line evened the slate less than three minutes after Groulx’s opening marker as Drew Callin swooped in front from behind Domingue’s net and surprised the veteran with a wraparound through the legs to make it a 1-1 tie at 11:12.
The gutsy effort continued in the middle stanza, and Dalibor Dvorsky was rewarded at 8:52 with his third goal of the campaign. After skating the puck out of danger and entering the offensive zone, the 19-year-old pulled up on the left-wing boards and created a shooting lane. The rookie’s flip shot into traffic found a home through Domingue’s legs and gave Springfield its first lead of the day, 2-1, at 8:52.
Not even three minutes later, Tanner Dickinson entered the scoring realm as he took a beautiful setup from Michael Buchinger and lifted a forehander over Domingue’s stick at 11:08. Dickinson’s first AHL goal of the season also marked Buchinger’s first career point as a pro, and it gave Springfield a 3-1 lead into the third.
Just nine seconds into the final period, Springfield added to the lead as Hugh McGing spotted a wide-open Marcus Sylvegard at the net front for a tap-in. It tied for the fastest goal in any period in team history and propelled the T-Birds to a 4-1 advantage.
Ex-Hartford defenseman Hunter Skinner exacted some payback against his old team at 3:28, taking a drop from Dylan Peterson and rifling a wrister under the crossbar to build the lead up to 5-1.
Hartford mustered only one goal in response when Dylan Roobroeck stuffed a rebound through Ellis at 10:32. The Springfield goaltender put up his fourth consecutive start with just two goals allowed, stopping 27 shots for the game.
The T-Birds look to build upon the win on Friday night when they welcome the Bridgeport Islanders to the MassMutual Center for the first time this season. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.
