Tonight, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Mohegan Sun Arena (6:05 ET, 
).
The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to face the winner of Sunday’s North Division Game 5 between Cleveland and Toronto.
The Penguins are trying to reach the conference finals for the first time since back-to-back appearances in 2013 and 2014. The Thunderbirds are the 2022 division champions.
Springfield pushes series to the limit with 2-0 goal on Thursday night Dillon Dube (5-3-8) and Marc Andre Gaude (1-3-4), while limiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to 20 shots on goal. Georgi Romanov (7-3, 1.52, .949) recorded his second shutout of the postseason, and the Thunderbirds improved to 3-0 when facing playoff elimination and 4-0 after losing in the postseason.
“We played the whole 60 minutes,” Springfield head coach Steve Ott Said after the fourth game. “All 20 people are pulling the rope – so you get the result.”
Sergei Murashov (5-3, 1.83, .941) stopped 30 shots for the Penguins, who suffered their first shutout loss since May 6, 2016 in a Calder Cup playoff game against Hershey.
The two Russian-born netminders posted nearly identical numbers in the series: Romanov allowed seven goals on 119 shots (1.67, 0.941), while Murashov allowed seven goals on 129 shots (1.68, 0.946).
The Penguins have not lost in a row for more than two months since a five-game skid from February 28 to March 14. They have a 9-4 record in the winner-take-all playoffs, including a 6-1 record at home. The Thunderbirds won the decisive Game 3 2-1 in overtime in Charlotte to advance to the first round on April 25.
** **
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Springfield are separated by 29 points in the regular-season standings, which would make the Thunderbirds’ series victory tied for the sixth-largest upset in Calder Cup playoff history. Springfield eliminated Providence in the last round, completing the biggest upset.
38 points – 2026, defeated by the Springfield Thunderbirds (72). Providence Bruins (110)
37 points – 1993, Rochester Americans (87) win. Binghamton Rangers (124)
35 points – 1996, Cornish Aces (80) win. Albany Rats(115)
31 points – 1956, Cleveland Barons (59) def. Pittsburgh Hornets(90)
30 minutes – 1993, defeated by the Springfield Indians (64). Providence Bruins (94)
29 points – 1949, defeated by the Hershey Bears (61). Indianapolis Capitals (90)
