The Springfield Thunderbirds (38-23-6-2) bounced back with a fantastic defensive effort in a 3-1 win over the Charlotte Checkers (40-24-5-0) on Friday night at the MassMutual Center.
The Thunderbirds wasted no time in vaulting to an advantage in the opening period, as Tanner Kaspick tipped a feed from the crease into a yawning net behind Joey Daccord just 2:20 into the opening period. Luke Witkowski and Keean Washkurak got the helpers on the fifth of the season for Kaspick.
The Springfield bottom-six forward group continued their sensational start to the game just under four minutes later as Drew Callin slipped a perfect pass into the slot, and Mathias Laferriere deked beautifully from backhand to forehand, sneaking a shot around Daccord's left pad to extend the lead to 2-0 at the 6:00 mark. It was the rookie's second goal in as many games.
Joel Hofer drew the starting assignment in the Springfield crease, and the 21-year-old answered the bell in the first with eight saves on eight Charlotte attempts through the opening 20 minutes.
The T-Birds had to withstand more of a charge from the visitors in period two, as Charlotte fired 11 of the first 14 shot attempts in the second and had a couple of close calls around Hofer's net, but the Springfield defense stiffened to keep one of the hottest offenses in the Atlantic off the board.
With a power-play chance to extend the lead, Springfield took advantage at 7:16 as Klim Kostin hammered a one-timer from the right circle over Daccord's glove to make it 3-0 on assists from Brady Lyle and Nikita Alexandrov. Lyle picked up a point in his fifth straight game, while Alexandrov tallied his second helper of the evening.
Matt Kiersted would break up Hofer's shutout bid just 30 seconds into the third, but that's as close as the visitors would get on this night. Charlotte's seven-game point streak came to an end. The Checkers are now 0-3-0-0 at the Thunderdome this season. Hofer finished with 34 saves and nearly picked up the first goalie goal in T-Birds history, firing just wide of an empty net in the game's closing minutes.
Springfield will get another crack at the Checkers on Saturday at the Thunderdome. Puck drop for the annual Pucks and Paws game will be 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, and it will be preceded by Brews on Bruce from 3-5 p.m. outside the MassMutual Center box office.