Penguins rout Thunderbirds 8-1, reach Eastern Conference Finals
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton blasted Springfield 8-1 in Game 5, stormed out to a 4-0 first-period lead and reached the conference finals for the first time since 2014.
A winner-take-all game turned into a demolition job as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins crushed the Springfield Thunderbirds 8-1 in Game 5 on Saturday at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, turning an elimination night into a statement that sent the Atlantic Division Final home in five games.
The Penguins were ruthless from the start. They scored four times in the first period and never let Springfield breathe, with Tristan Broz driving the charge by scoring twice and adding two assists for a four-point night. Rafael Harvey-Pinard, back in the lineup, added two goals of his own, while Ville Koivunen matched him with two goals and an assist. Sergei Murashov backed the outburst with 26 saves, giving Wilkes-Barre/Scranton control at both ends of the ice.
Springfield had earned its place in the series by knocking out higher-seeded Charlotte and Providence, but the Thunderbirds could not answer Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s pace or finishing once the Penguins found early separation. The clubs had already spent the regular season measuring each other, with the Penguins going 3-1-0-0 against Springfield and outscoring the Thunderbirds 17-10. In Game 5, that edge showed up immediately and decisively.
The result pushed Wilkes-Barre/Scranton into the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014, when the Penguins last reached the final four and fell to the St. John’s IceCaps in six games. It was also the organization’s largest postseason rout since 2007, a result that changes the tone around this run from a good playoff story to a legitimate Calder Cup threat.
The next hurdle will be determined by Cleveland and Toronto, with the winner of Game 5 set to face Wilkes-Barre/Scranton when the conference finals open in Wilkes-Barre next week. After an 8-1 clincher and a 3-2 series win, the Penguins are no longer just advancing. They are arriving with force.
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