BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — The Springfield Thunderbirds (17-15-2-1) had six players record multiple points in a 6-4 triumph over the Bridgeport Islanders (8-25-2-2) on Saturday night at Total Mortgage Arena. 

The T-Birds and Islanders' netminders had all the answers in the opening 20 minutes, as Colten Ellis picked up where he left off from his shutout performance on Wednesday with 10 more stops in the opening frame. In the Bridgeport net, Hunter Miska made his first AHL start in nearly three years and was up to every Springfield challenge with 11 first-period stops.

The night marked the much-anticipated debut of Blues' 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg, and the 19-year-old wasted little time in period two making his mark on the game, taking a drop feed from Hugh McGing in the left circle and roofing a wrister short-side on Miska for his first AHL goal on his first shot at 2:43. 

Unfortunately, the excitement of Stenberg's opening tally was quickly tempered when Chris Terry evened the slate with a power play goal at 3:29 for Bridgeport, snapping Ellis's shutout streak of over 83 minutes. 

The T-Birds returned fire at 8:56 when Hunter Skinner leaned into a one-time slapper off a Matthew Peca drop pass, beating Miska over the stick hand to give Springfield a 2-1 advantage. 

Once again, however, the Islander power play had a rebuttal. This time, a Samuel Bolduc point wrister eluded Ellis and got the game back even, 2-2, at 13:50.

Springfield continued to be just a tick faster than the Islanders in the see-saw second frame as Stenberg let a wrister fly from the left side at 15:45, creating a rebound for McGing to bury behind Miska and restore the T-Birds' lead. 

Finally, the Islanders could not get the game back to a stalemate, and Alek Kaskimaki lifted a backhand under the crossbar on a net-crashing play up the left side at 19:20 to send Springfield to the second intermission dressing room ahead 4-2.

Bridgeport still did not keel over, and with the teams skating 4-on-4 in the opening minute of the third, Liam Foudy capitalized on a rebound outside the paint to make it a 4-3 contest. 

MacKenzie MacEachern further bolstered the Springfield advantage when he picked the puck off from Bolduc and cruised in on Miska before beating the netminder glove side on a breakaway to make it a 5-3 game at 7:33.

McGing capped off his best night of the season with his second goal of the evening in the dying seconds of a power play at 11:13 of the third to up the lead to 6-3.

Eetu Liukas would get one back for the Islanders with 1:03 to play, but it was too late for the home team as Springfield cashed in its fourth straight win and second in four nights over Bridgeport.

The T-Birds look to establish a season-best five-game win streak on Sunday afternoon when they visit the Providence Bruins for a 3:05 p.m. puck drop at Amica Mutual Pavilion.

Fans can get their Thunderbirds tickets today by calling (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or by visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.