SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- The Springfield Thunderbirds return to MassMutual Center for Game 3 of the AHL Atlantic Division Finals with momentum after their biggest postseason comeback in club history.

Fans lined up outside the arena Tuesday morning waiting for players to sign autographs ahead of the game. “We’ve been sitting on a big win,” said Thunderbirds head coach Steve Ott. “The guys have been really bought in and practiced in the last few days and ready to go for tonight.”

The Thunderbirds entered the third period down 3-0 to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Forward Hugh McGing got the Thunderbirds on the board with a shorthanded one-timer from the right wing. Dillon Dube then scored twice to tie the game, with his second goal coming with 1:52 left in the period, sending it to overtime.

Akil Thomas scored the overtime winner six minutes into the period, silencing the Penguins crowd and setting up Game 3. “We were able to out-possess them in the offensive zone and throw a lot of shot attempts up at the net,” Ott explained.

Ott noted he liked the team’s response in overtime. “We started forward-leaning right away and went to work and were able to capitalize,” he said.

The focus is to close out the division finals at home and avoid a return trip to Wilkes-Barre.

Puck drops Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available at the box office and on the team’s website.

If you are not able to make it to the game Tuesday, you can catch all the action live on COZI-TV:

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