Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
In the early months of the AHL season, patience is usually a wise strategy.
However, this is easier said than done.
Springfield Thunderbirds lose nine of first 13 games under new head coach Steve KonowalchukThe longtime NHL forward also had a lengthy coaching career. The St. Louis Blues hired Konovalchuk in the offseason, a hire that raised high expectations heading into the season.
But the early effort tested the team’s confidence. On Nov. 11, the Thunderbirds were 4-8-1-0. They ranked 27th in the league with 2.54 goals per game, but their high-powered offense struggled to get anywhere, going 4-for-44 from the field. The lack of scoring also put considerable pressure on Springfield’s defense. The Thunderbirds conceded 32.9 goals per game, conceded 3.38 goals per game, and ranked 22nd in the AHL in penalty kick percentage of 79.6%.
Therefore, sometimes it only takes one goalkeeper to put the rest of the team in contention. For the Thunderbirds, the duo Vadim Zhelenko and Colten Ellis Keep the team in the game until the rest of the roster can find collective cohesion. Since the shaky start, Springfield has gone 8-1-0 and conceded an average of 2.33 goals per game. After losing four of their first five home games, they made MassMutual a difficult task for opponents, winning seven of eight games at the Thunderdome. Now they must also try to build up a strong road game as they will play their fifth consecutive road game Saturday night at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Ellis, who ranks in the top 10 in the league in save percentage (.921), minutes played (778) and wins (8), joins the Blues organization as a 2019 third-round draft pick, but that’s his time in the game. The team’s first full season at the AHL level, spending most of the first three years in the ECHL. For most of that time, he had to work in places like Joel Hofer and Charlie Lindgren on the St. Louis depth chart.
But opportunities will eventually present themselves in this league. st louis deal Malcolm Subban Fly to Columbus on March 8 to clear a spot for Ellis in Springfield. He posted a .918 save percentage in 10 games as Springfield attempted to contend for a playoff spot, including a 5-1 win over Toronto on March 9, one day after the Subban trade. , he made 47 saves. The postseason offer didn’t materialize, but Ellis has shown enough to earn a new one-year deal.
Turning a team around sometimes requires tweaking the lineup, and the Thunderbirds did just that by adding forwards. Matt Love After an injury-interrupted season between the Detroit Red Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins on November 7, Love flourished in Springfield, contributing five goals in nine games with the team. Goals and 5 assists. This veteran offense helped relieve some of the pressure early in the season when goals were struggling.
These Thunderbirds also have some exciting young talent. Dalibor DvorskyThe Blues selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft as a 19-year-old, scoring a team-leading 10 goals in his first 22 games. Another new striker, 20 years old Alexander Kaskimakiranking second in the team with 15 points. offseason signings Marcus SilvergardThe forward, coming off a career-best 23-goal season in the Swedish Hockey League, has already integrated into the team and is a rookie. Dylan Peterson He finished his college career at Boston University with 11 points in 22 games.
There are still more than four months left in the regular season of this season, and then there is a difficult road trip. But this Thunderbirds team has proven it has staying power.
About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor for SiriusXM NHL Network Radio . In 2016, he received the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.
