Thomas' OT Game-Winner Completes Comeback For Springfield In Game Two of Atlantic Division Finals

Springfield Thunderbirds forward Akil Thomas was awarded the Player of the Game Award for his overtime game-winner. (Source: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports)

The Springfield Thunderbirds beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 4-3 in overtime to tie the Atlantic Division Finals.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton dominated the first period yet again outshooting Springfield 14-4. That is even when factoring out the three shots put up in the Penguins' two man-advantage opportunities. The power play did prove to be the difference-maker when forward Bill Zonnon sniped from outside the right hashmarks to get the opening goal of the game going into first intermission.

16 seconds into the second frame, Penz' forward and AHL All-Star Tristan Broz scored to put up the Pittsburgh AHL affiliates 2-0. Late in the period, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ended up in their third power play and scored their second man-advantage goal of the game, going up 3-0 heading into the third.

In the first minute of the final frame, the T-Birds would put Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on the power play for the fourth time. Springfield would take advantage of a breakaway opportunity the other way for a short-handed goal courtesy of forward Hugh McGing to get some breathing room at 3-1. Until the 3:40 mark, the Penguins had outshot the Thunderbirds 4-1. After that, until the end of game, Springfield went on a massive 19-7 run where T-Birds goalie Georgi Romanov was pulled twice for an extra attacker. In both instances, forward Dillon Dube scored for the Thunderbirds to even the game at three apiece and sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, Springfield carried the momentum over as they outshot Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 11-4 with forward Akil Thomas completing the comeback with a diving game-winner from the slot at the 13:44 mark, tying the Atlantic Division Finals 1-1.