The Springfield Thunderbirds had a terrible start the season. That’s putting it lightly. They went 1-8-1-1 in their first 11 games, and along with looking like the worst team in the Atlantic Division, they looked like one of the worst in the American Hockey League (AHL).
They are rolling now. The 7-4 comeback win against the Hartford Wolf Pack on Jan. 9 has them boasting a 13-14-4-2 record and in sole possession of sixth place in the division. “It wasn’t a full 60 performance but it was one of our better ones of late,” Matthew Peca noted after the game, one where they allowed four unanswered goals yet still won by three.
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The Thunderbirds are playing great as of late and have momentum as the season heats up. Sure, momentum in the AHL doesn’t mean much as it’s only as good as the next call-up. Yet, the Thunderbirds have some that look sustainable as they are building a competitive team.
Veterans Are Leading The Springfield Offense
The Thunderbirds have a below-average offense, scoring only 2.75 goals per game, even with the latest seven-goal outburst. Yet, they can score and score in bunches. The recent win over the Wolf Pack showed just that. They scored the first two goals, and after trailing 4-2 early on in the second period, they scored five unanswered to close out the game. “We’re getting the line combinations together and building from there,” Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who netted two goals, stated after the game.
Kaskimaki is a 21-year-old prospect who has put himself on the map for the St. Louis Blues with nine goals on the season so far. However, it’s the veterans who are getting the job done for the Thunderbirds. In a league focused on development, the veterans are vital to success. “I think our veteran guys are playing solid hockey,” Steve Konowalchuk noted after the game.
Matt Luff and Peca are the anchors of the offense as they’ve scored 16 goals this season. They led the Thunderbirds through the slow start and helped build the habits to power through the rough stretches. For them, it’s about winning games one shift at a time and not trying to do too much. “The leadership group and the guys in the locker room have been trying to keep a short focus,” Konowalchuk added after the game, and it’s why the Thunderbirds are playing their best hockey now.
Springfield is Playing Konowalchuk’s Style
It’s sometimes assumed that a team plays the same way their coach used ot play back in the day. More accurately, the coach played with a specific style and has a vision for how hockey is meant to be played, and the team’s play often reflects that.
Konowalchuk has the Thunderbirds playing fast and has had them playing that way since he was hired in the 2024 offseason. “Everybody likes to score goals,” Konowalchuk stated after the 7-4 win, and this team will score a few goals at the cost of a few the other way. It’s why the Thunderbirds, in a league that’s focused on checking and two-way play, have an offense that scores in waves.
The other factor that reflects Konowalchuk’s vision is the ability to score in the dirty areas and step up physically. That’s how the Thunderbirds score a handful of their goals in their recent win, a big plus considering “In playoff hockey, you have to score goals like that,” as Konowalchuk mentioned. The Thunderbirds are willing to take the hits, and while they aren’t a physically imposing team, they can get the dirty area goals. “Even when things aren’t going well, you have to fall back on structure and work ethic,” as Peca put it.
Where The Thunderbirds Still Struggle
The Thunderbirds don’t defend well, and their goaltending has been an issue all season. They lost Colten Ellis to waivers before the season began, and it left them searching for answers in the net. For the most part, Vadim Zherenko has stepped up but there are games where he allows multiple goals that otherwise should be easily stopped, something a scout at the game noted about his play as well.
The Hartford Wolf Pack have one of the worst offenses in the league, averaging only 2.61 goals per game. They put up four goals against the Thunderbirds on Jan. 9, with three coming in the first period. “It’s really evident when we don’t compete and don’t play the right way, we’re chasing the game,” Peca added afterwards.
The other issue for the Thunderbirds is that they aren’t playing well consistently. “It’s about playing the right way,” Konowalchuk added. If they can play the right way and build up a few wins, then they’ll look like a competitive team. For now, they look like one that’s found its footing and shown the upside but not enough to catch up to the top teams in their division or even secure a spot in the playoffs.
The AHL has sorted itself into tiers or a class system with the Calder Cup contenders, the murky middle, and the hapless teams. The Thunderbirds have looked hapless for most of the season. Yet, slowly, Springfield is climbing up the standings and might end the season as a good team that can go on a run.
