Lucky Seven: T-Birds set a franchise record with seven wins in a row

Story By: Matthew Wiernasz

Photo Courtesy of the Springfield Thunderbirds

SPRINGFIELD, MA- The Springfield Thunderbirds set a franchise record on Friday night at the MassMutual Center by winning seven games in a row against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 4-2.

Keean Washkurak got the Thunderbirds on the board with 15:57 remaining in the first period as Will Bitten dropped the pass to Washkurak. Washkurak took advantage of the screen by Bitten and fired the wrist shot that passed through Penguins goaltender Taylor Gauthier to make it 1-0.

Matthew Highmore extended the lead for the Thunderbirds on the power play and used the forehand shot that beat Gauthier with 11:10 remaining in the first period to make it 2-0.

The Penguins responded with a late first-period goal as Colin Swoyer got a bounce off of a Thunderbirds player stick. Swoyer took the shot that beat T-Birds goaltender Vadim Zherenko to make it 2-1 with 2:45 remaining in the first period.

Martin Frk would extend the lead for the Thunderbirds on the power play as he fired the slap shot from the left side of the faceoff circle to make it 3-1 with 5:12 remaining in the second period. Matthew Peca and Brady Lyle would receive their second assists of the evening.

Alexander Nylander would cut into the Thunderbirds lead with 16:04 remaining in regulation as he scored his 19th goal of the season to make it 3-2.

Peca would give the Thunderbirds insurance with the empty-net goal in the final minute of regulation to make it 4-2.

With the win, the Thunderbirds move up to fourth place in the Atlantic Division Standings.  The T-Birds will become the Springfield Ice-O-Topes tonight as they host the Bridgeport Islanders for the final matchup of the season in Springfield.  The game will begin at 7:05 p.m.