The Atlantic Division finals come down to three more periods (or more) as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton hosts Springfield in the decisive Game 5 at Mohegan Sun Arena this evening (6:05 ET, 
).
The victor moves on to the Eastern Conference Finals to face the winner of Sunday’s Game 5 in the North Division between Cleveland and Toronto.
The Penguins are trying to sew up their first trip to the conference finals since making consecutive appearances in 2013 and 2014. The Thunderbirds were conference champions in 2022.
Springfield pushed the series to the limit with a 2-0 win on Thursday night, getting goals from Dillon Dube (5-3-8) and Marc-André Gaudet (1-3-4) while limiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to 20 shots on goal. Georgii Romanov (7-3, 1.52, .949) recorded his second shutout of the playoffs as the Thunderbirds improved to 3-0 when facing elimination this postseason and 4-0 following a playoff loss.
“We played to our identity for the full 60 minutes,” Springfield head coach Steve Ott said after Game 4. “All 20 guys pulling that rope – you get those results that way.”
Sergei Murashov (5-3, 1.83, .941) stopped 30 shots for the Penguins, who were dealt their first shutout loss in a Calder Cup Playoff game since May 6, 2016, against Hershey.
The two Russian-born netminders have nearly identical numbers in the series: Romanov has allowed seven goals on 119 shots (1.67, .941), while Murashov has given up seven goals on 129 shots (1.68, .946).
The Penguins, who have not lost back-to-back games in more than two months since a five-game slide from Feb. 28 to Mar. 14, are 9-4 all-time in winner-take-all playoff games, including 6-1 on home ice. The Thunderbirds won a decisive Game 3 in Charlotte, 2-1 in overtime, to advance out of the first round on Apr. 25.
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The 29-point difference between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Springfield in the regular-season standings would rank a Thunderbirds series victory tied for the sixth-largest upset in Calder Cup Playoff history. Springfield completed the biggest upset last round when they eliminated Providence.
38 points – 2026, Springfield Thunderbirds (72) def. Providence Bruins (110)
37 points – 1993, Rochester Americans (87) def. Binghamton Rangers (124)
35 points – 1996, Cornwall Aces (80) def. Albany River Rats (115)
31 points – 1956, Cleveland Barons (59) def. Pittsburgh Hornets (90)
30 points – 1993, Springfield Indians (64) def. Providence Bruins (94)
29 points – 1949, Hershey Bears (61) def. Indianapolis Capitals (90)