Springfield Thunderbirds Stage Late Comeback, Stun Providence Bruins 4-3

Down a goal and staring at a 45-12-1-0 juggernaut that had just put seven past Hartford the night before, the Springfield Thunderbirds walked out of Amica Mutual Pavilion on Sunday with a 4-3 road win that tightened the Atlantic Division playoff race and handed Providence one of its rarest home losses of the season.

The Thunderbirds trailed entering the third period, but Wagner tied it just past the halfway point of the final frame with his 22nd goal of the year. Two minutes later, Dillon Dube gave Springfield the lead with his 11th, and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki sealed it with an empty-netter, his 14th of the season, before Brad Blumel's consolation goal with seconds remaining made the final 4-3.

It was a finish that the first period did nothing to predict. Matthew Poitras opened the scoring at 2:10 by cleaning up a rebound in the blue paint after Georgi Romanov made an initial stop on a Ty Gallagher shot. Poitras' 12th goal of the year gave Providence an early cushion, and the Bruins added a second first-period tally, with Blumel accounting for both Providence goals on the night. Springfield got one back at 9:34 when Juraj Pekarcik shuffled a rebound past Simon Zajicek following a Marc-Andre Gaudet slapper on the power play, knotting it at 1-1 before the Bruins went to the locker room with a 2-1 lead.

The second period was scoreless, but the third told the whole story. Newly recalled Anthony Romano went to the box for slashing just over three minutes in, giving Providence a power play that Springfield killed off. The Bruins then handed one back when Quinton Burns was whistled for high-sticking, and Providence failed to convert on that opportunity as well. Those two failed man-advantages proved pivotal: Springfield's penalty kill kept the game within reach long enough for the offense to take over.

Springfield outshot Providence 10-9 in the final 20 minutes, a narrow edge that nonetheless reflected the Thunderbirds' sustained push. Romanov, carrying an 8-11-3 record, a 3.40 goals-against average, and a .892 save percentage into the game, held the line long enough for his team to do the rest. Zajicek, who came in at 11-3-1, absorbed three third-period goals as Springfield turned a deficit into a victory.

The win matters beyond the final score. Springfield entered the afternoon trailing the idle Bridgeport Islanders by two points and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by four in the Atlantic Division playoff chase. The Thunderbirds now sit at 24-27-6-2 and have won back-to-back games after a 6-3 victory over the Comets on Saturday. Providence, which leads the division by 11 points and has already clinched a Calder Cup Playoffs berth, absorbed the loss without consequence in the standings. For Springfield, it was anything but inconsequential.