T-Birds Weekend Features Trips to Providence, Hartford

Jan 18, 2019

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The Springfield Thunderbirds (18-14-5-3) complete a four-game road swing this weekend with visits to the Providence Bruins (18-16-6-0) on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. and the Hartford Wolf Pack (18-17-2-2) on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.

 

The Thunderbirds will look for their second straight win inside the Dunkin' Donuts Center on Friday night in their seventh of 14 regular season matchups with the Bruins. Springfield currently boasts a 4-2-0-0 record this season against their most common division opponent.

 

Dryden Hunt provided the overtime heroics last Sunday in a 3-2 Springfield victory in Providence, beating Dan Vladar at 4:59 of the extra period to secure an ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 play of the night and his first career AHL overtime goal. That extra-time victory was just the Thunderbirds' second win in 10 tries beyond regulation this season.

 

Sam Montembeault brought home the victory at the other end for Springfield on Sunday thanks to his 32 saves on 34 shots. Sebastian Repo tallied a power play goal in his fourth straight game in the win as well.

 

Springfield's power play was finally kept off the board on Wednesday in Allentown in a 3-1 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, marking the first time in 11 games that the Thunderbirds power play failed to score a goal, snapping a team-record streak of 10 straight contests with a power play goal.

 

Entering play on Friday night, the Thunderbirds sit at 44 points, good for fourth place in the Atlantic Division. Springfield is just six points back of second place Bridgeport and one point behind the Phantoms for the third position in the standings. The Bruins, however, are looking to leapfrog the Penguins (43 points) and Thunderbirds, as the P-Bruins sit at 42 points through 40 games.

 

Following their trip to Providence, the Thunderbirds will make the short trek south to take on the Hartford Wolf Pack for the third time since Dec. 30 inside the XL Center. The Wolf Pack have come away with victories in each of the last two meetings by scores of 6-5 in overtime on Dec. 30 and 3-1 on Jan. 4. Springfield is 1-1-1-0 in its first three matchups with Hartford this season, with seven meetings still to go in the season series.

 

The Thunderbirds' busy stretch before the All-Star break continues on Monday for a special 1:05 p.m. matinee inside the MassMutual Center against the Laval Rocket. Springfield is 4-0-0-0 all-time against the Rocket since Laval's inception in 2017.

 

Springfield Thunderbirds fans are encouraged to visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn more about 2018-19 Thunderbirds Ticket Memberships. Packages include a wide range of benefits, including the lowest prices for the 2019 Lexus AHL All-Star Classic presented by MGM Springfield. For more information or to order now, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.