Matthew Peca scores twice, Springfield Thunderbirds beat Providence Bruins on ‘Ice-O-Topes Night’

The Springfield Thunderbirds defeated the Providence Bruins, 5-1, during the team's second annual "Ice-O-Topes" night Saturday evening (Photo was courtesy of Springfield Thunderbirds Media Lucas Armstrong).

SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Thunderbirds earned a 5-1 victory against the Providence Bruins in front of a sellout crowd of 6,793 fans during the franchise’s second annual “Ice-O-Topes Night” at the MassMutual Center on Saturday night.

“I thought everybody on our lineup contributed well tonight, from the forwards and defense,” Thunderbirds coach Drew Bannister said. “Everybody was involved in the hockey game from the start. We didn’t let up, especially since there weren’t any momentum changes for us because we kept up with our pace the whole 60 minutes.”

Springfield (25-14-5-1) has won six of its last eight games, including five straight at home to maintain a narrow lead over the Hartford Wolf Pack (23-13-4-2) for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Kyle Keyser made 36 saves for fourth-place Providence (19-13-3-3). The goaltender has allowed seven goals over his last two starts against the Thunderbirds.

Matthew Peca scored twice in the win with his second goal pushing the Springfield lead to 4-0 with 16:14 left in the third period. Peca leads the Thunderbirds with 40 points on the season.

Zach Senyshyn finally got the Bruins on the board soon after Peca’s second score.

Nathan Walker then pushed Springfield’s lead back to four with 11:13 left on the clock. The score was Walker’s 16th of the season, while Sam Anas recorded his third assist on the play.

Springfield goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 23 saves in the win.

“We have a resilient team for sure,” Tommy Cross said. “There is starting to be some intensity in the games. You have to keep playing good teams for that to happen. I think we’re in a good mix as we continue working on our game. We have to remain even-keeled.”

They played scoreless hockey for nearly 29 minutes before Mackenzie MacEachern located Calle Rosen between the two faceoff circles. The defenseman took possession and maneuvered around Keyser, making it 1-0 with 11:05 left in the second.

Peca made it 2-0 for the Thunderbirds and Alexey Toropchenko later located teammate Drew Callin with a behind-the-back pass for one last drive.

With no defender in sight, he launched a wrister to no avail as it ricocheted off the post. The right-winger secured the rebound to further extend the Thunderbirds margin to 3-0 with 37 seconds remaining in the second. The goal was Callin’s fourth, while Toropchenko and MacEachern tallied their second assists of the evening on the play.

“I felt like we were creating quality chances during the first period,” Bannister said. “Nonetheless, we needed to keep the same mood by consistently pushing on the defense. We were trying to play their forwards as tight as possible to create turnovers in the forecheck.

“Following that, we had to make a couple of adjustments in the offensive zone, which opened things up.”

Through 40 minutes of action, Springfield maintained a comfortable three-goal cushion while also outshooting Providence, 31-11.

The Thunderbirds will now play a mini two-game road trip, beginning on Saturday, Feb. 19, against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Puck-drop is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. inside Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

“We have a good coaching staff, so they can run with that part,” said Cross of his team’s current four-game point streak. “I think we players can focus on our starts, mindsets, and attitudes. There are going to be ups and downs, and we know that. It’s not quite the home stretch, but there’s starting to be more intensities where you’re checking the standings and focusing on who you’re playing more.

“There’s an importance in each game now, so that’s a fun time. But as long as we keep our mindsets strong, following game plans set by coaches and staying together as a group will serve us well.”

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

X

Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information

If you opt out, we won’t sell or share your personal information to inform the ads you see. You may still see interest-based ads if your information is sold or shared by other companies or was sold or shared previously.