HARTFORD, Conn. -  The Springfield Thunderbirds (32-23-2-5) dropped a stunning 6-5 game to the Hartford Wolf Pack (27-24-4-7) on Friday night at the XL Center.

Unfortunately for the T-Birds, the first-period script was more of the same from last weekend, as it took the Wolf Pack just 2:09 to jump to the 1-0 advantage. Lauri Pajuniemi picked the puck up behind the goal line and slipped a pass in the left circle to Turner Elson. Vadim Zherenko denied Elson's first one-time attempt, but Pajuniemi pounced on the rebound to deposit the puck into an empty goal. 

Despite coming up empty on two power plays and most of a third, the Wolf Pack continued to take advantage at 5-on-5, and Will Cuylle scooped a rebound that squeezed past Zherenko to pound home his 22nd goal for a 2-0 Hartford lead at 9:31. 

It was a tough start for the T-Birds offense, which managed just eight shots in the first period on Louis Domingue, and Springfield failed to earn a power play at any point in the frame. The T-Birds have now gone four straight games without a first-period goal. 

For as frustrating as the first period went for Springfield, the second period was a role reversal with Springfield's spectacular special teams at the forefront. Martin Frk got the T-Birds back in the swing of things with a power-play goal at 3:30 on a wrister that seeped through Domingue for his 28th goal of the year. 

Domingue and the Wolf Pack defense was under siege much of the period, with the exception of one power play chance that Hartford failed to connect on shortly after the Frk goal. With a delayed penalty against Hartford ongoing, the T-Birds raced Zherenko to the bench and, with an extra attacker, got the game even as Scott Perunovich and Matthew Peca made two diagonal passes through the middle of the ice, allowing Greg Printz to locate a bouncing puck in the crease to jam it home and tie the game, 2-2, at 14:26. 

Hartford's discipline failed them late in the second, as back-to-back minors gave Springfield over a minute's worth of 5-on-3 time. The T-Birds wasted little time taking the lead, as Frk unloaded a slapper that created a rebound off Domingue's pad. Matthew Highmore calmly fielded the puck in the slot and backhanded it to the one-time wheelhouse of Adam Gaudette, who found an open net to give Springfield its first lead, 3-2, with 1:21 left in the second. 

Springfield began the third period on the power play for 30 more seconds, and Peca cashed in for his third point of the night on a wrist shot that beat Domingue over the blocker to give the T-Birds a 4-2 lead just 20 seconds into the final period. 

38 seconds after that, Hugh McGing sprung Will Bitten on a mini-breakaway, and Bitten beat Domingue high to the stick side to make it 5-2. In the celebration, Adam Clendening hit Bitten up high, earning a roughing penalty 

Despite seemingly losing all momentum, the Wolf Pack refused to go away, and their struggling power play finally found a tally from Cuylle at 6:05 of the third to make it 5-3. 

A chaotic, physically-charged third period continued into the final six minutes with the score still 5-3. However, the Hartford power play continued to find its rhythm as Springfield's discipline hit a rough patch. With Domingue on the bench for a 6-on-4 advantage, Jonny Brodzinski beat Zherenko at 16:02 after Jake Leschyshyn freed the puck up in the slot over to the Hartford captain in the left circle. 

Now within a goal, the Wolf Pack once again earned a power play chance with 3:14 to play, and once again, they summoned Domingue to the bench for a 6-on-4. After the puck came loose from the left-wing wall into the slot area, Tanner Fritz won a race to the loose biscuit and beat Zherenko over the glove to tie the game, 5-5, with 2:38 to play.

Springfield did not have an answer for the change in momentum, and after taking a third delay-of-game penalty of the night, Cuylle completed a hat trick, beating Zherenko on a mad scramble near the crease with 54 seconds remaining to give the Wolf Pack the 6-5 lead. The win was only Hartford's second regulation triumph in 10 games against Springfield this season.

The T-Birds look to get a quick chance at payback on Saturday as the two teams reconvene at the XL Center for a 6:00 p.m. puck drop. 

After the local road trip, the Thunderbirds fly down to Charlotte for three straight matchups at Bojangles' Coliseum against the Checkers on Wednesday, March 29 (7:00 p.m.); Friday, March 31 (7:00 p.m.); and Saturday, April 1 (6:00 p.m.). 

Thunderbirds fans can reserve their seats for upcoming games by calling (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.