The Springfield Thunderbirds head into the weekend for games three and four of a six-game homestand on a two-game winning streak and still ensconced in fourth place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division with a 14-11 record.
Owen Tippett leads the T-Birds in scoring with twenty points. Tippett also tops the club with ten goals. Anthony Greco is second in goals with 7 and second in points with 15.
Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers, fresh off a 62-save effort on Wednesday is now 7-2 with a 2.73 GAA and .930 save percentage.
Sam Montembeault is 1-1 with a 3.04 GAA and .921 save percentage since he was sent down by the Florida Panthers.
This just in: Forward Aleksi Saarela has been recalled by the Panthers. The 22-year-old has four goals and six assists in 17 games with the Thunderbirds this season. Florida acquired Saarela from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Ian McCoshen on October 23, 2019
^ These AHL stats do not include Wednesday’s game against Lehigh Valley.
Can you help a Panther?
The answer to that on Thursday was a resounding yes as the Cats got a ton of help last night. The roadie Buffalo Sabres were beaten 4-3 by the Calgary Flames, the Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a 5-4 decision to the visiting Minnesota Wild, and the Montreal Canadiens fell at home to the Colorado Avalance by a 4-3 count, keeping the Panthers in second place in the Atlantic Division for yet another day. The Habs can pass the Cats tonight if they defeat the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. If that happens, the Panthers do have three games in hand on Montreal.