Zonnon's Game-Winner Gives Pens 2-1 Lead in Atlantic Division Finals
2025 Draft 22nd overall pick forward Bill Zonnon was designated Player of the Game for his game-winning goal in Game Three of the Atlantic Division Finals. (Source: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images) The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins beat the Springfield Thunderbirds 2-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the Atlantic Division Finals. The game started off with a first period that was pretty much evenly matched.
Neither team produced significant momentum despite Springfield having two power plays and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton having one. But at the 19:40 mark of the opening frame, during the T-Birds' second man-advantage situation, Penguins' forward Avery Hayes would steal the puck from Thunderbirds' Thomas Bordeleau in the Wilkes-Barr/Scranton zone before passing to teammate Rutger McGroarty who went the other end on a breakaway for a short-handed goal for a 1-0 lead going into the first break. The Penguins took the momentum into the second period, outshooting the T-Birds threefold by 12-4.
Yet, no team scored in the middle frame. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's persistence would pay off in the final period as forward Bill Zonnon would score the game-winning goal from the left interior hash-marks at the 5:58 mark to put the Pens up 2-0. After that, the Thunderbirds would try mounting a comeback, outshooting the Penguins 9-5 when finally, Springfield forward Juraj Pekarcik would fake out Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Harrison Brunicke enroute to squeezing the puck past AHL All-Star goalie Sergei Murashov at the 16:21 mark to cut the deficit in half.
That would be as close as Springfield would come as the Pens would come away with the win and series lead. Both teams went 0-for-3 on the power play but it definitely hurt the T-Birds more in the end. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goalie Murashov made 27 saves of 28 shots for a save percentage of 0.
964. Springfield goalie Georgi Romanov made 30 saves off 32 shots for a save percentage of 0. 938.