T-Birds Visit McKenna & Crunch in Syracuse

Syracuse, NY- The Springfield Thunderbirds (22-26-8-2) will see a familiar foe on the other side of benches on Friday night as they visit the Syracuse Crunch (30-19-5-5) at the Onondaga County War Memorial Arena for a 7:05 p.m. puck drop. 

It was just nine days ago that Springfield and Syracuse swapped goaltenders, with Mike McKenna moving to the Crunch and Adam Wilcox joining the Thunderbirds. Both goaltenders continue to search for their first victory with their new clubs.

Syracuse enters play this weekend sitting atop the North division with 70 points on the year. They defeated the Thunderbirds by a final score of 4-3 on Jan. 27 in Springfield with Wilcox picking up the win as the visitor. The Thunderbirds trailed 4-0 in the third period before storming back to make it 4-3 in the closing minutes.

After winning five consecutive games, the Thunderbirds are now looking for their first win since Feb. 25. A 2-0 first period lead in their last game at Hershey on Sunday proved not enough in an eventual 4-2 Bears win. It will not be an easy task against a Syracuse team that boasts an 18-7-1-2 record at home, the best mark in its division. 

The Thunderbirds should expect a physical contest against a Crunch team that leads the American Hockey League with 1,040 penalty minutes on the season. Despite all those penalties, the Crunch have proven to be the most dangerous shorthanded team in the league, with 10 goals when down a man. Recent Tampa Bay Lightning callup Yanni Gourde has four of those to lead the AHL. 

Springfield will continue its weekend set on Saturday for Pink in the Rink night in Springfield against the Hartford Wolf Pack. The ice will be painted pink for the first time in Springfield hockey history, and the Thunderbirds will wear specialty jerseys for the occasion. Presented by Baystate Health and Health New England, the Pink in the Rink jerseys will be auctioned live after the game, with proceeds benefiting Rays of Hope. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Interested in being part of the next era of AHL hockey in Springfield? Springfield Thunderbirds 2017-18 Ticket Memberships start as low as $12 per game and feature the most exclusive benefits, including a commemorative jersey and brand new Collectors Mug. For more information, fans may call the Thunderbirds ticket office at (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.