T-Birds Visit Crunch, Announce Transactions

Syracuse, N.Y. - In a pair of transactions at the goaltender position on Saturday, the Springfield Thunderbirds recalled goalie Evan Cowley on a loan from the Manchester Monarchs, while Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Dale Tallon announced today that the club has recalled goaltender Harri Sateri from the Thunderbirds.

 

Sateri, 27, has appeared in two games with Springfield, owning a 0-2-0 record, 4.51 goals against average and a .859 save percentage. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound native of Toijala, Finland spent the 2016-17 season playing for Vityaz Podolsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. With Vityaz, Sateri posted a 20-16-5 record a 2.50 goals against average a .929 save percentage and was named goaltender of the week for the week of Sep. 25, 2016.

 

He was originally selected by the San Jose Sharks in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft.

 

Cowley has posted an 0-1-1 record in Manchester with the Monarchs with a 4.35 goals against average and .877 save percentage. He will join the Thunderbirds (0-5-0-0) as they continue their three-game weekend with a visit to the War Memorial Arena in a battle with the defending Eastern Conference champion Syracuse Crunch (1-4-1-0) at 7:00 p.m. Saturday.

 

After reaching the Calder Cup Finals a season ago, the Crunch, much like the Thunderbirds, have struggled out of the gates to begin the 2017-18 season. Syracuse has allowed three or more goals in each of their five losses, including three last night in a 3-2 loss to the Binghamton Devils. Veteran backstop Michael Leighton was chased early on after allowing two goals on two shots. Rookie Connor Ingram cleaned up the mess, stopping 19 of 20 shots in relief.

 

Like the Providence Bruins did to the Thunderbirds, Syracuse did get its two goals on Friday night while shorthanded. Michael Bournival and Erik Cernak scored man-down goals less than two minutes apart midway through the second period to cut the Devils lead to 3-2, but could not find an equalizer. Syracuse has dropped three in a row overall and five of their first six games to start the year.

 

Springfield, meanwhile, succumbed to its two shorthanded goals against during a six-minute stretch of the second period. Danton Heinen, Jordan Szwarz and Austin Czarnik combined for 10 points in Providence's third straight win over the Thunderbirds.

 

The Thunderbirds got first goals of the season from returning forwards Dryden Hunt and Ryan Horvat in the third period, but the tallies were little more than extra entries on the score sheet, as the Bruins vaulted to a 3-1-0-0 start to their season.

 

Springfield is looking for its first road win dating back to March of last season, having dropped nine straight away from the MassMutual Center. The Thunderbirds did have success in Syracuse last year, coming back from 2-1 down and getting two goals in the final ten minutes from Anthony Greco to come away with a 3-2 win on March 10.

 

Syracuse won the lone matchup between the two teams in Springfield, a 4-3 triumph on Jan. 27. The Crunch had a 4-0 lead in the final seven minutes of the third period before the Thunderbirds stormed back to cut the lead to 4-3 before running out of time.

 

Following the road visit to upstate New York, the Thunderbirds return home on Sunday for a Friendly's Sundae Funday matinee against the Belleville Senators at 3:05 p.m. ET.

 

Springfield Thunderbirds fans are encouraged to visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn more about Thunderbirds Season Ticket Memberships. Packages start at just $12 per game, and Thunderbirds Full Season Ticket Members receive the most benefits, including a refillable collector’s mug and a commemorative jersey. For more information or to order now, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visitwww.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.