SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Springfield Thunderbirds (2-2-0-0) got another two-goal performance from a rookie as they doubled up the Providence Bruins (1-2-0-0) for a 4-2 win on Saturday night at the MassMutual Center.

24 hours after a chaotic opening period that saw six combined goals in Hartford, the T-Birds settled into a much more defensively structured contest on Saturday, as the two clubs had only nine combined shots through the first 10 minutes of play. Nikita Alexandrov had the T-Birds' first close call when he rang a shot off the crossbar, narrowly missing his third goal in four games.

Goaltenders Colten Ellis of the T-Birds and Brandon Bussi of the Bruins got a steadier workload as the period wound down. Bussi came up with his best save when he threw the right leg out to kick away a quick attempt by Dalibor Dvorsky from the inside of the right circle, and Ellis responded in kind with a strong challenge and denial of a Jordan Oesterle slot offering. 

With just 52 seconds left in the period, a win off a draw set up the T-Birds for the opening tally. Captain Matthew Peca, who was held scoreless in his first three games, cleanly whipped the puck drop back to defenseman Corey Schueneman, and one of the newest T-Birds picked the corner on his fellow Western Michigan alumnus Bussi. The blueliner's first goal as a T-Bird made it a 1-0 game heading into the intermission. 

Providence threatened to flip the momentum just 1:01 into the second when speedy Fabian Lysell weaved to the front of the net and squeezed a forehander through Ellis to tie the score.

However, that tie score lasted only 1:21, as Drew Callin and Dylan Peterson combined on a net-front scrum to fish the puck through a fallen Bussi and over the line. Peterson got the credit for his third goal of the weekend, restoring the lead to 2-1. 

Springfield's power play kept its confidence flowing on their first opportunity, with first-year T-Bird Marcus Sylvegard hammering a one-time slapper over Bussi's shoulder at 10:04 to extend to a 3-1 lead. It marked the Swede's first goal as a T-Bird, while Samuel Johannesson and Dalibor Dvorsky scooped up the assists.

Peterson got back into the action 27 seconds later, skating through the slot area, deflecting a Callin shot past Bussi, and giving Springfield its largest lead of the young season, 4-1.

John Farinacci had a response for the Bruins at 18:24, stepping in front from the left-wing corner and tucking the puck around Ellis to get Providence back to within a pair, 4-2, heading into the dressing room. 

Providence continued to threaten in the third period, but the T-Birds selflessly blocked a litany of chances near their net and kept the 4-2 score intact to the end of the contest. Ellis secured his first win of the season with a 28-save performance.

The T-Birds look to complete a home-and-home sweep of the Bruins when the teams reconvene in Providence for a 3:05 p.m. puck drop on Sunday afternoon inside Amica Mutual Pavilion. 

Interested 2024-25 season ticket members can call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn how to become a regular at the Thunderdome.