GAME STORY: Springfield - 7 at W-B/Scranton - 6 (Game 3 - 5/15/22)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins started off strong, opening up a 4-1 lead in the opening period Sunday, before getting into penalty trouble and allowing the Springfield Thunderbirds to capitalize on three power play chances in the final two periods - turning that 4-1 Penguins' lead into a 6-4 deficit before ultimately finishing off the Pens with a 7-6 win to sweep the series and push the Thunderbirds into the Atlantic Division Finals.

Springfield was paced offensively by Sam Anas, who had a game-high four points (1G-3A) while the Thunderbirds also got a goal and an assist each from four other players - Will Bitten, Dakota Joshua, Mackenzie MacEachern and Steven Santini - in an offensively charged contest which featured 12 different goal scorers in total.

The Penguins got three points from Filip Hallander (1G-2A) and a pair of goals from Sam Poulin in addition to a goal and assist each from Jonathan Gruden, Nathan Legare and Alex Nylander in a losing effort.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Tommy Nappier got the start in net for the Penguins in Game 3 Sunday, with Sam Harvey serving as the team's backup.

One change on defense, as Colin Swoyer entered the lineup and made his AHL playoff debut. Cam Lee was the odd man out on the blue line for the Penguins.

Penguins Scratches: Filip Lindberg, Dylan MacPherson, Taylor Fedun, Chris Ortiz, Corey Andonovski, Patrick Watling, Jamie Devane, Josh Maniscalco, Niclas Almari, Michael Chaput, Cam Lee, Cam Hausinger, Sean Josling and Ty Glover

Lines/Pairings:

Filip Hallander - Sam Poulin - Valtteri Puustinen Felix Robert - Sam Houde - Alex Nylander Kyle Olson - Jordy Bellerive - Anthony Angello Kasper Bjorkvist - Jonathan Gruden - Nathan Legare

Juuso Riikola - Mitch Reinke P-O Joseph - Will Reilly Matt Bartkowski - Colin Swoyer

Tommy Nappier - Samuel Harvey

Springfield Thunderbirds Lineup Notes

Charlie Lindgren got the start in net for the Thunderbirds in Game 3, while Joel Hofer served as Lindgren's backup.

Thunderbirds Scratches: Peter Crinella, Mathias Laferriere, Mitchell Balmas, Josh Wesley,

Lines/Pairings:

Klim Kostin - Matthew Peca- Sam Anas Mackenzie MacEachern - Dakota Joshua - Will Bitten James Neal - Nikita Alexandrov - Nathan Todd Keean Washkurak - Tanner Kaspick - Hugh McGing

Tyler Tucker - Steven Santini Tommy Cross - Matthew Kessel Griffin Luce - Luke Witkowski

Charlie Lindgren - Joel Hofer

GAME STORY

1st Period

The Penguins look re-energized following two days off between Games 2 and 3, coming off the heels of a five games in seven days stretch to open their postseason run. Relentless for large stretches of the period, the Pens were simply too much to handle for Springfield.

After an early chance in the opening minute from Filip Hallander was stopped by Charlie Lindgren to set the tone, Jonathan Gruden took a feed from Nathan Legare and ripped a shot past Lindgren to give Wilkes-Barre/Scranton an early 1-0 lead just 2:45 into the contest.

They had a chance to extend the lead shortly thereafter when Sam Anas was whistled for tripping at 4:08, but the Thunderbirds killed off the penalty and then capitalized on a power play of their own to tie the game at 1-1 with Anas going bar-down from the right-wing circle off a beautiful cross-ice feed from Matthew Peca.

Then, the Penguins took back control - forcing turnovers and tallying three goals in a span of 6:19 in the second half of the period to break open a 4-1 lead.

Valtteri Puustinen forced a turnover behind the Springfield and quickly fed it in front to Filip Hallander for a quick shot past Lindgren to give the Pens a 2-1 lead. Then, Hallander set up Sam Poulin on a power play to make it a two-goal lead before Legare forced a turnover on the forecheck and got to the net front in time for a rebound of a Gruden shot to stuff it in past Lindgren to pull the Penguins ahead by a 4-1 count with 3:19 left in the opening period.

The Penguins took a penalty in the final seconds of the period, allowing Springfield a chance to get back into the game with 1:57 of power play time to begin the middle frame.

2nd Period

Springfield didn't score on the carryover power play to begin the period, but were able to build momentum early in the middle frame as the Penguins got into penalty trouble.

Kasper Bjorkvist was whistled for hauling down Matthew Peca at the net-front shortly after the period-opening penalty came to a close, sending the Penguins right back to the penalty kill. Luckily for the home team, they avoided danger and got out of the opening minutes unscathed with their 4-1 lead intact.

That would change, however, in the middle of the period when the Penguins took a pair of penalties 38 seconds apart - giving a dangerous Thunderbirds power play unit an extended five-on-three. They converted on it after Will Bitten's skate re-directed a puck in past Penguins' goalie Tommy Nappier at the side of the net. The officials reviewed the goal, and later confirmed it's authenticity.

From there, Springfield dominated - scoring on a shot through traffic from the right point by Steven Santini shortly after Bitten's goal to make it a one-goal game with 7:01 still left to play in the middle frame.

Their relentless pressure in the period - to the tune of a 19-5 edge in shots on goal - paid off again with 2:45 left before the second intermission as Dakota Joshua stuffed one home past Nappier at the side of the net during a flurry of chances to tie the game and send the two teams to the third period tied at 4-4.

3rd Period

Springfield appeared to pull away after killing off the Penguins' power play to open the final frame, tallying two goals in a span of 2:25 to take a 6-4 lead with 12:35 left in regulation off the sticks of Peca and Mackenzie MacEachern.

The Penguins didn't quit, though, as they made things interesting when Sam Poulin tallied his second of the game to draw the home team back within a goal with 11:06 left to play - putting home the rebound of a Mitch Reinke point shot.

The Thunderbirds re-gained the two-goal lead on a power play tally from Hugh McGing - Springfield's third man advantage goal of the contest - to put the pressure on the Penguins, but Alex Nylander answered on the following shift to once again make it a one-goal game with 7:26 left.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, that's as close as they would get - despite a flurry of chances in the final two minutes with Nappier off for the extra attacker.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

2:45: WBS - Gruden (1) - Legare, Swoyer 4:08: SPR - (PP) Anas, minor (tripping) 6:46: WBS - (PP) Legare, minor (interference) 8:27: SPR - PPG Anas (2) - Peca, Cross 10:22: WBS - Hallander (1) - Puustinen 14:19: WBS - Joseph, minor (roughing) 14:19: SPR - Washkurak, minor (roughing) 14:19: SPR - (PP) Washkurak, minor (roughing) 14:31: WBS - PPG Poulin (2) - Hallander, Nylander 16:41: WBS - Legare (1) - Gruden, Bjorkvist 19:56: WBS - (PP) Olson, minor (interference)

2nd Period

2:12: WBS - (PP) Bjorkvist, minor (hooking) 9:34: WBS - (PP) Reinke, minor (tripping) 10:12: WBS - (PP) Gruden, minor (interference) 10:36: SPR - PPG Bitten (2) - Joshua, Alexandrov 12:59: SPR - Santini (1) - Tucker, Todd 17:15: SPR - Joshua (2) - MacEachern, Bitten 20:00: SPR - (PP) Joshua, minor (roughing)

3rd Period

5:00: SPR - Peca (2) - Santini, Anas 7:25: SPR - MacEachern (2) - Cross, Anas 8:54: WBS - Poulin (3) - Reinke, Hallander 10:20: WBS - (PP) Gruden, minor (high-sticking) 11:15: SPR - PPG McGing (1) - Peca, Anas 12:34: WBS - Nylander (3) - Robert, Reinke 12:41: WBS - (PP) Joseph, minor (delay of game)

BOXSCORE

Springfield 1 - 3 - 3 = 7 W-B/Scranton  4 - 0 - 2 = 6

Shots

Springfield  14 - 19 - 11 = 44 W-B/Scranton  12 - 5 - 15 = 32

Goalies

SPR: Charlie Lindgren (26 saves - 32 shots) WBS: Tommy Nappier (37 saves - 44 shots)

Power Play

SPR: 3-for-7 WBS: 2-for-4

Penalty Kill

SPR: 2-for-4 WBS: 4-for-7