Springfield took it 2-0 in Providence, a shutout built on two goals in the back half of regulation. The Thunderbirds didn't need volume — they needed one break late in the second and one more at the finish.
The opening period ended 0-0, with neither side converting. Springfield broke it at 39 minutes for 0-1, carried that single-goal cushion through the third, and closed it out at 59 minutes for 0-2 — the turning point being that late-second marker, which forced Providence to chase the rest of the way.
The number that defines it: zero. Providence didn't score in any of the three periods, and Springfield's goaltending kept the sheet clean across the full 60.