Thunderbirds shutout Hartford for the second time

Story By: Matthew Wiernasz

Photo Courtesy of the Springfield Thunderbirds

SPRINGFIELD, MA-  The Springfield Thunderbirds shutout their I-91 rival Hartford Wolf Pack 4-0 on Wednesday at the MassMutual Center

Mathias Laferriere got the T-Birds on the board with 3:30 remaining in the first period as Highmore and Laferriere were trying to push the puck past Wolf Pack goaltender Louie Domingue. Laferriere got the puck past Domingue to make it a 1-0 game.

Thunderbirds forward Adam Gaudette received a cross-checking penalty at the 20:00 mark of the first period.  The T-Birds would take advantage of the penalty kill as Matthew Peca went on a breakaway and fired the snapshot that went through Domingue to make it 2-0 55 seconds into the second period.

The T-Birds would get an early goal in the third period and some insurance as defenseman Dmitri Samorukov fired the shot and Matthew Highmore redirected it that went through Domingue to make it 3-0 37 seconds into the third period.

Martin Frk would use his signature slapshot and fire the one-timer with 7:52 remaining in regulation to make it a 4-0 game for the Thunderbirds.

T-Birds goaltender Joel Hofer finished the game with 31 saves as he would earn his fourth shutout of the season.

Another chapter of the I-91 rivalry will take place this Friday at the XL Center where the game will begin at 7:00 p.m.