HARRY Z, T-BIRDS HAUNT BRUINS FOR 4TH STRAIGHT WIN

 

After being outshot 10-2 in the game's opening half of the first period, the Thunderbirds bounced back to open the scoring 10:38 into the first. Zolnierczyk hit Paul Thompson on the right wing, and the captain feathered a back-post pass to Joel Lowry, who elevated it over the shoulder of Zane McIntyre to make it 1-0. It was Lowry's second straight game with a goal.

 

After Sam Montembeault stopped all 12 shots he saw in the first period, the T-Birds carried the 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

 

6:45 into the second, the Bruins tied the score on a strange bounce from a one-timer off Martin Bakos' stick. The try deflected off a Thunderbirds' defender before slowly bouncing past Montembeault to tie the score, 1-1.

 

The Bruins kept pushing and eventually drew a power play in the closing minutes of the period, but instead of breaking the tie, Providence saw the Thunderbirds vault to a second lead. Riley Stillman moved through center to create a 2-on-1 with Zolnierczyk, and "Harry Z" took the feed and softly flipped it off the bottom of the crossbar behind McIntyre to make it 2-1 with just 90 seconds to play in the middle period.

 

Springfield would go shorthanded again to begin the third period, and this time the Bruins connected as Jan Kovar tapped home a diagonal pass to the left of Montembeault to bring the game to a 2-2 stalemate less than four minutes into the third.

 

That score would hold true into the final four minutes, where Zolnierczyk again proved deadly to the opposition. After Matt Mangene muscled a shot through traffic at the right point, Zolnierczyk dove to curl the puck on his backhand into a yawning net to put Springfield ahead for good at 16:16 of the final period.

 

Thompson added one for insurance into an empty net with just 1:31 to play to round out the scoring. Springfield will next take on the Hartford Wolf Pack with a chance to extend their point streak to eight games. Puck drop on Sunday is set for 3:05 p.m.

 

Springfield Thunderbirds fans are encouraged to visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn more about 2018-19 Thunderbirds Season Ticket Memberships. Packages include a wide range of benefits, including the lowest prices for the 2019 Lexus AHL All-Star Classic presented by MGM Springfield. For more information or to order now, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.