Samuel Montembeault, number three on the Florida Panthers goaltending totem, made 31 saves and Joel Lowry scored twice in the Springfield Thunderbirds 4-0 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Friday night at MassMutual Center.
Lowry beat Jared Coreau 16:13 into the first, with the assists going to Jonathan Ang and Rodrigo Abols, and added a shorthanded marker 16:17 into the second, from Jack Rodewald and Thomas Schemitsch, to stake Montembeault to a two-goal lead.
Paul Thompson notched a power-play goal 8:26 into the final frame from Owen Tippett and Dryden Hunt to extended to three before Ang set up Hunt for a late empty-netter to complete the scoring.
With the victory, the Thunderbirds remained in the third place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division, one point ahead of the Providence Bruins, who hold a game in hand.
The two teams will play a key home-and-home tonight in Springfield and Sunday afternoon in Providence.
In ECHL action, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits cruised to 6-2 win on home ice over the Florida Everblades. Adam Rockwood scored a goal and an assist, Jake Horton and Dylan MacPherson also lit the lamp, and Matt Marcinew and Will Lochead collected assists.