SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield Thunderbirds (1-6-1-0) again fell victim to a second-period blitz and a bit of puck luck in a 5-3 loss to the Charlotte Checkers (4-3-1-0) at the MassMutual Center on Saturday night.
Special teams units were taxed in the opening period as the two foes combined on five power plays in the first 20 minutes. But despite all that time with the man advantage, the T-Birds struck first at even strength as former Checker Matt Luff roared to the left side and snapped a wrister past Cooper Black’s glove to make it a 1-0 score at 6:52.
As the T-Birds attempted to extend their lead on a shortened power play, a misplay of the puck gave Sandis Vilmanis a breakaway while in shorthand, and the second-year pro successfully slid a forehander under the legs of George Romanov to tie the score, 1-1, at 11:26. Romanov and Black settled down after the goals, finishing the first 20 minutes with 11 saves each.
Charlotte jumped out to its first lead at 6:18 of the second period after a lengthy stretch in the offensive zone and a fortuitous jump shot. Gracyn Sawchyn pulled up in the high slot and fired a wrister over the net that smashed against the end glass before arcing high in the air and landing just outside the crease, where Wilmer Skoog alertly poked it over Romanov to give the Checkers the 2-1 lead.
34 seconds later, Checker captain Trevor Carrick provided the visitors’ momentum with a one-timer in traffic that evaded Romanov at 6:52, making it a 3-1 game. Springfield stabilized defensively for the remainder of the period, but Black batted aside 11 T-Birds offers to assert the two-goal advantage heading into the third.
Brett Chorske got his first goal of the season at 1:41 of the third for the Checkers, set up by Ben Steeves, and Charlotte had its biggest lead of the night at 4-1.
The Checkers didn’t do themselves much favors, however, as back-to-back penalties gave Springfield two more advantages on the power play, and this time the T-Birds capitalized. First, Luff threw a shot at Black’s feet from the left circle. After Nikita Alexander‘s first rebound hit was empty, Matthew Peca then arrived on the threshold to wedge it under the black pads to make it a 4-2 match at 2:53.
After scoring his first of the season, the captain followed suit just 3:01 later, parking himself in front of the net on another power play and deflecting a ball. Samuel Johansson shot past Black, cutting Charlotte’s lead to 4-3.
Unfortunately for the T-Birds, Black did not allow Springfield to get closer, and Vilmanis added his second goal of the night at 12:05, sending a forehand shot over Vadim Zherenkowho had entered the match after Romanov left the match earlier in the period with an apparent injury.
The T-Birds complete their first 3-in-3 weekend of the season on Sunday afternoon when they visit the Bridgeport Islanders at Total Mortgage Arena, with puck drop scheduled for 3 p.m.
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