SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Springfield Thunderbirds (30-21-2-4) could not undo an early offensive onslaught from the Syracuse Crunch (26-19-8-4), who skated away with a 9-4 win on Friday night at Upstate Medical University Arena.

Former T-Bird Logan Brown got the Crunch started on a high note as he finished off a 2-on-0 breakaway by pounding a Conor Geekie pass into the net behind Colten Ellis just 1:14 into the contest.

Former UMass star Conor Sheary added to the lead just 1:23 later, as he deflected a 2-on-1 pass from Dylan Duke into the gaping net. Brown's second of the game at 5:44 off a rebound in the low slot paced Syracuse to a 3-0 lead before the first official timeout. 

Matt Luff and the T-Birds tried to mount a comeback charge, as the veteran tapped a blue-paint rebound behind Matt Tomkins at 8:18 to cut the margin to 3-1. However, that momentum was thwarted when Scott Walford netted his first of the season from the left point to make it a 4-1 Crunch lead.

Walford's goal spelled an early end for Ellis, who was removed from a game for the first time all season after allowing four goals in 13:35. 

Luff again sparked the T-Birds at 15:35 when he one-timed a Matthew Peca pass through Tomkins to cut the lead to 4-2. Hunter Skinner followed at 18:11 with an innocent-looking wrist shot that Tomkins missed with the blocker, and despite the slow start, Springfield got to the first intermission down by just one goal, 4-3. Peca assisted on the final two goals, extending his point streak to 12 games, just one back of Scott Perunovich's team record 13-game streak in 2021-22. Luff had two goals and a helper for his first period of work.

Unfortunately, the Crunch mirrored their first-period start for a second time and greeted Vadim Zherenko rudely, as Jack Finley and Daniel Walcott scored power-play and even-strength goals respectively in a 19-second blitz to push the lead to 6-3 just 2:56 into the second.

Gabriel Szturc joined the party at 9:05, connecting on a 3-on-2 drop pass from Declan Carlile to push the lead to 7-3.

Peca finally stopped the Syracuse run, finding the back of the net for the 10th time in 11 games at 10:45 to make it 7-4 on his 27th goal of the campaign. 

Syracuse added two more in the final period to cap off their best offensive night of the year as Sheary's second of the night and a hat trick goal by Brown rounded out the scoring.

The T-Birds' magic number to clinch a Calder Cup playoff berth sits at 14 following Hartford's regulation loss on Friday in Rockford. Springfield and Syracuse reconvene on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. inside the MassMutual Center to complete the home-and-home series. The T-Birds will also host the Providence Bruins on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. for Sensory-Friendly Sunday at the Thunderdome.

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