with files from Patrick Williams
Providence spent much of the regular season chasing the best record in 90 years of AHL hockey. Now the Bruins are looking to avoid being on the wrong end of history.
A 3-2 overtime victory in Game 3 on Tuesday gave Springfield a 2-1 series lead and moved the Thunderbirds one win away from winning the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy. Game 4 tonight at MassMutual Center (7:05 ET, 
).
After going 54-16-2-0 in the regular season, the Bruins lost just 20 of 75 games all year — but seven at the hands of the Thunderbirds.
Calle Rosén two points by law as well Zach Dean scored the winner 3:45 into overtime to end Game 3 with Springfield playing without its usual lead Hugh McGing, Dylan Peterson, Thomas Bordeleau again Julien Gauthier. The Thunderbirds also had no defenders Hunter Skinnerwho was injured in Game 1 of the first round against Charlotte, too Leo Lööf.
“All the boys who came gave us minutes and played theirs [tails] out, and that was the difference,” the Springfield coach Steve Ott he said in his speech after the game with his team.
Ott got a few more depth options this week, as St. Louis Blues last two picks of the first round – defenseman. Adam Jiříček (16th overall in 2024) and beyond Justin Carbonneau (19th overall in 2025) – assigned to Springfield.
Matthew Poitras tallied a goal and an assist for the Bruins in Game 3, giving him four points (1-3-4) in the series. Riley Tufte he also scored, his first of the postseason after a 32-goal campaign.
Since allowing eight goals in Game 1 of the first round, Springfield has allowed nine goals in five games.
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The 38-point difference between Providence and Springfield in the regular season standings would make the Thunderbirds’ series victory the biggest upset in Calder Cup Playoff history:
37 points – 1993, Rochester Americans (87) def. Binghamton Rangers (124)
35 points – 1996, Cornwall Aces (80) def. Albany River Rats (115)
31 points – 1956, Cleveland Barons (59) def. Pittsburgh Hornets (90)
30 points – 1993, Springfield Indians (64) def. Providence Bruins (94)
29 points – 1949, Hershey Bears (61) explains. Indianapolis Capitals (90)
Hershey hosts Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Game 4 of the Atlantic Division semifinals tonight (7 ET, ) needs a win to extend its season and send the series back to 81.
Rutger McGroarty got a redirection 5:02 into overtime to give the Penguins a 4-3 win and a 2-1 series lead on Tuesday. McGroarty put his stick in a Sebastian Aho wrister from the left and deflected it past the Bears keeper Clay Stevenson with his first goal of the game.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton trailed by a goal heading into the third period, however Avery Hayes tied the game with 2:53 left in regulation.
McGroarty noted that the mood in the locker room during the second half was positive.
“The conversations were about…how good of a team we have here and how fun it is to play hockey with these guys,” he said. “Play, play for the man next to you. It’s all about the team.”
“I think we’re sitting a little bit in the third,” the Bears coach said Derek King said. “We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. This team has never done anything easy this year, so they had to do it the hard way.”
“We’ve put ourselves in tough spots at different points throughout the year but we’ve always found a way to bounce back,” the Bears forward added. Grant Cruikshank. “We became good when our backs were against the wall.”
“The opportunity to end the team’s season – obviously it’s difficult,” said the Penguins forward Tristan Brozwho had three assists in Game 3. “But this (Grand Center) is a fun building to play in, and as competitors that’s all you want, to have a stage like that to play on.
“We have a lot of guys in the locker room that if the game is big, we will play it big.”
Bogdan Trineev (3-3-6) scored again Ilya Protas (2-4-6) had an assist in Game 3; both have recorded at least one point in all five of Hershey’s playoff games thus far.
There’s another potential series-clincher on tonight’s schedule, as the Coachella Valley hosts Ontario in Game 4 of the Pacific Division semifinals (10 ET, ).
On Tuesday, Reign scored in 80 seconds Aatu Jamsen again Logan Brown At the beginning of the third period they erased a 1-0 goal on their way to a 2-1 victory and a 2-1 lead.
“Good teams find a way to win,” said Brown, who now has two goals in the series after scoring once in Ontario’s 31 regular-season games. “We didn’t really get into our game until the third, it was good that we were able to get it with Ports (the goalkeeper. Erik Portillo) kept us there until we did so.”
Portillo (1-1, 2.09, .934) made 27 saves, allowing only Jani Nyman goal late in the first half.
“You know Coachella is going to push, they have a lot of talented guys, so you have to go deep and fight,” said Portillo. “To show that we can continue to play our game, continue to push, push, push… That shows the intensity of our game.”
“Every hit, every shot, is tough,” Nyman said after Game 3. “Ontario is a really good team. We need to do something more if we want to win.”
The Firebirds have already won two elimination games this season, coming back to knock off Bakersfield after losing the opener of their best-of-three first-round series.
“Being a little bit more comfortable in that situation, not the first time you have your back against the walls, is a little bit of a confidence boost,” the striker said. Jagger Firkuswho scored in each of those wins against the Condors in the previous round. “Those are the kind of games that are fun to be a part of. You give it your all, empty your tank and see where it takes you.”
