Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is in the Final Four for the first time since 2014 with just one win remaining and a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4 of the Atlantic Division finals in Springfield (7:05 ET, 
).
There are 14 minutes and 02 seconds left in regular time. Bill Zonnon He scored his third goal in a game to start his career and it was the game-winner in the Penguins’ 2-1 win on Tuesday.
“I just got the bounce,” Zonon said after Game 3. “My teammates did a lot of work creating space for me to finish. I was lucky, too. Once you work hard and do the right things, luck is on your side.”
Rutger McGroarty With 19.1 seconds left in the opening period, the Penguins scored on a short-handed breakaway to take a 1-0 lead. The Pens have scored the first point in six of seven postseason games; Springfield has allowed the first goal in eight of 10 postseason games.
Sergei Murashov (5-2, 1.80, .942) made 27 saves to help Wilkes-Barre/Scranton improve to 3-0 on the road in the playoffs.
The Thunderbirds have led by a total of 44 seconds over the past six games. They’ve won two elimination games, both in the first round in Charlotte Georgi Romanov (6-3, 1.68, .946) stopped 63 of 66 shots in those wins.
“It was a close game, but a loss is a loss,” Springfield head coach Steve Ott explain. “We want to be on the right side of the game but there’s a lot to be happy with.”
Chicago will wrap up the Central Division finals on home ice tonight, hosting Grand Rapids in Game 4 at Allstate Arena (8 p.m. ET, ). A potential fifth game is Saturday in Grand Rapids.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard (4-3-7) The Griffins used 9:22 of overtime to get through their first elimination test and win 4-3 on Tuesday. It was the third game-winning goal in the playoffs for the 20-year-old Norwegian forward, a first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Road teams are currently 10-4 in overtime in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Five minutes into the game, Grand Rapids took a 2-0 lead for the second straight game. But for the second game in a row, Wolves responded, this time leading 3-2 Tyler Angle – Griffins tie the game in Game 2 – The two teams tied the game with 7:14 left in the second period.
Griffins forward John Leonard (1-4-5) scored a team-high 33 goals in just 47 regular-season games, scoring for the first time in Game 3 of the playoffs. Carter Mazur (5-1-6) scored his fifth goal in the last five games and Eric Gustafson (1-5-6) and Sheldon Dries (1-4-5) The two each sent two assists.
“I thought we were pretty good,” Griffin coach Dan Watson explain. “We stuck to the game plan; our guys gave it their all, mentally and physically. Chicago gave us a hard time, but we were resilient. Our guys deserved the win.”
Grand Rapids ended Game 3 with a 46-20 field goal advantage, including a 28-9 lead after Chicago took the lead early in the second quarter. Kayden Primo (5-3, 2.34, .922) made 42 saves for the Wolves; Felix Unger Sorum (3-4-7) extended his goal streak to four games with a goal and an assist.
