Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
Endurance often is a clever technique within the AHL season’s opening months.
Simpler mentioned than performed, although.
The Springfield Thunderbirds misplaced 9 of their first 13 video games below new head coach Steve Konowalchuk, the long-time NHL ahead who has gone on to a prolonged teaching profession as nicely. The St. Louis Blues employed Konowalchuk within the offseason, and a hiring like that made for top hopes getting into the season.
However early struggles with take a look at a group’s confidence. On Nov. 11, the Thunderbirds sat at 4-8-1-0. They ranked twenty seventh within the league in scoring at 2.54 targets per recreation, and their energy play was struggling to generate a lot of something, going 4-for-44 out of the gate. That lack of scoring put appreciable pressure on Springfield defensively as nicely; the Thunderbirds have been permitting 32.9 photographs on aim and three.38 targets per recreation, and their penalty kill ranked twenty second within the AHL at 79.6 p.c.
So typically all it takes is a goaltender to tug the remainder of the group into competition. For the Thunderbirds, the duo of Vadim Zherenko and Colten Ellis have held the group in video games till the remainder of the roster may discover its collective cohesion. Since their shaky begin, Springfield is 8-1-0-0, permitting 2.33 targets per recreation. After dropping 4 of their first 5 house video games, they’ve made MassMutual Heart a tough place for opponents, successful seven of eight on the “Thunderdome.” Now they must work on establishing sturdy street play as nicely, as they open a string of 5 consecutive street video games on Saturday night time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Ellis, who’s top-10 within the league in save proportion (.921), minutes performed (778) and wins (8), joined the Blues group as a 2019 third-round draft choose however that is his first full season on the AHL degree, spending most of his first three years within the ECHL. For a lot of that point he needed to play behind the likes of Joel Hofer and Charlie Lindgren on the St. Louis depth chart.
However alternatives will open ultimately on this league. St. Louis traded Malcolm Subban to Columbus on Mar. 8, opening a spot in Springfield for Ellis. He had a .918 save proportion in 10 appearances down the stretch as Springfield tried to seize a postseason berth, together with a 47-save effort in a 5-1 win over Toronto on Mar. 9, in the future after the Subban commerce. The playoff bid fell quick, however Ellis had proven sufficient to earn a brand new one-year contract.
Turning round a group additionally typically requires tweaking the roster, which the Thunderbirds did by including ahead Matt Luff on Nov. 7. Coming off an injury-interrupted season cut up between the Detroit Pink Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins, Luff has thrived in Springfield, offering 5 targets and 5 assists in 9 video games with the group. That sort of veteran offensive assist eased a few of the early-season stress when targets have been exhausting to search out.
These Thunderbirds even have some thrilling younger expertise. Dalibor Dvorsky, taken tenth general by the Blues within the 2023 NHL Draft, has thrived as a 19-year-old with a team-leading 10 targets in his first 22 video games. One other new ahead, 20-year-old Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, is second on the group with 15 factors. Offseason signing Marcus Sylvegard, a ahead coming off a career-best 23-goal season within the Swedish Hockey League, has slot in nicely, and rookie Dylan Peterson has put up 11 factors in 22 video games after finishing his collegiate profession at Boston College.
There are greater than 4 months to go on this common season, and a tricky street journey is up subsequent. However it is a Thunderbirds group that has proven it may have endurance.
On the American Hockey League beat for twenty years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally at present covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a daily contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
