BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
SPRINGFIELD, MA – An early third-period power play goal was the difference as the Springfield Thunderbirds, playing their first game since the infamous “Brawl Game” on March 19, 2019, defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack, 2-1.
At 6:38 of the third period and just eight seconds into the power play, the Thunderbirds, the AHL affiliates of the St. Louis Blues, scored. Winger Nathan Todd was on the right side playing keep away from the Pack. He found Matt Peca (Quinnipiac University) wide-open on the back door. Peca received the pass and slammed home what proved to be the game-winning goal.
The loss spoiled a superlative 40-save performance from Adam Huska (UCONN). Huska used all pieces of his equipment to keep the Wolf Pack in the game.
The Wolf Pack power play struggled with putting the puck in the net all night, despite a well-played man-advantage late in the game.
They had a five-on-three chance that came up empty. The Thunderbirds have killed twelve power plays in two games.
FAST START FOR THUNDERBIRDS
Springfield came out fast at the start. At 20 seconds into the contest, fleet-footed Nathan “Stormy” Walker, a five-year veteran and Australian from Wales, tested Huska, who made a blocker save.
The Thunder Dome (aka Mass Mutual Center) was ready to roar as they tallied the first goal as Logan Brown, the son of ex-Hartford Whaler Jeff Brown, got the scoring sequence started on their first power play. Brown passed the puck to Mike Perunovich, and he waited for a screen to get into place and then launched a right-point shot. The puck was deflected by Nikita Alexandrov, who was all alone in front of the Russian rookie for a 1-0 lead.
Huska was acrobatic and impenetrable, stopping everything over the first two periods from Walker to Sam Anas screaming as a right hand shot off the left-wing.
Morgan Barron tied the score in the second period with a man-advantage tally of his own. The three Thunderbirds in the vicinity converted another Johnny Brodzinski pass while Huska kept the front and back door shut like stopping Sam Anas coming in off the left wing on a two on one.
NOTES
WP and current Wolf Pack and ex-Thunderbird, Anthony Greco was hurt and didn’t play in the third period.
Springfield had several Connecticut, Wolf Pack, and second-generation connections.
Griffin Luce played at Salisbury School. Sam Anas at Quinnipiac University (ECACHL). The entire coaching staff was ex-Pack. Springfield’s Head Coach, Drew Bannister (also the son-in-law of original Wolf Pack assistant coach Mike Busniuk), Assistant Coaches Stu Bickel, a late hire, and Daniel Thaczuk (also an ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger) and Tommy Cross (Simsbury/Westminster Prep).
Second-generation Springfield players included Alexey Toropchenko (father Leonid) and former Springfield Indians, current Dallas assistant John Stevens, the son of Nolan Stevens, also an ex-Hartford Whaler.
Nick Jerman (Quinnipiac University) was traded from the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL) to the Ft. Wayne Komets (ECHL).
Ex-Pack Tomas Zaborsky was let go by HC Liberec (Czech Republic-CEL) and signed with ERC Schenirer (Germany-DEL).
Neil Robinson (Kent School) was released by the Worcester Railers (ECHL) training camp.
LABRIE
The newest Wolf Pack is a 14-year veteran in Pierre-Cedric Labrie who hails from Quebec. The Wolf Pack have agreed to a 25 game PTO deal with the veteran of 630 AHL games. Labrie has 198 points (89 goals, 109 assists) and 1,105 PIM’s.
His father-in-law is Montreal Canadiens great and current Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) head coach/GM, Patrick Roy, and he played the last two years with Eisbaren Berlin (Germany-DEL), winning the championship last year, had 13 goals in 70 games plus won a Calder Cup in 2011-12 with Norfolk.
The New York Rangers won on the road at Montreal, 3-1. Alexis Lafreniere, who grew up near Montreal, played before family and friends and had Greg McKegg’s game-winner wearing jersey #14. The WP game on Sunday afternoon will be important after Kaapo Kakko sustained an upper-body injury. A recall is entirely possible.
