“We got the recipe for the way we needed to play. We saw it in the third, and we saw it in overtime,” Steve Ott
The Springfield Thunderbirds were down 3-0 heading into the third period of Game Two of the Atlantic Division Final. With a loss in Game One and a penalty kill to start the period, it looked like the Thunderbirds were in for a short series against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.
It’s the story of the Thunderbirds season. They were down and counted out. Yet, they battled back and found a way to win. The third period started with a shorthanded goal, and in the final three minutes with the net empty, the Thunderbirds scored twice to force overtime. “We got the recipe for the way we needed to play. We saw it in the third, and we saw it in overtime,” head coach Steve Ott mentioned after the game.
By the time overtime rolled around, it wasn’t a question of if they would win but how they would score. Game Two was their fourth overtime game of the Calder Cup Playoffs after all. It came with Akil Thomas firing the puck to the net and hoping for a lucky bounce, which he got to give the Thunderbirds the 4-3 overtime win and tie up the series.
The Thunderbirds Keep Fighting Until The End
The Thunderbirds entered the third period down 3-0, yet they were unfazed. Comebacks have been a part of their season, and battling back is part of their playoff identity. Their first playoff game was an 8-1 defeat against the Charlotte Checkers, and their Game One loss to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins was a 2-0 game where they didn’t generate much offense.
Yet, they never give up and play until the final whistle. “We’re a relentless team,” Ott added afterwards. The shorthanded goal gave them a spark, and after that, they knew they could score two more goals to force overtime. Yes, they were facing Sergei Murashov on the other end, one of the best goaltenders in the American Hockey League but going up against elite goaltending in the playoffs isn’t a new thing for them either; it’s what they faced in the previous round against the Providence Bruins after all. So, finding a way to beat Murashov twice in the final minutes doesn’t come as a surprise.
“We’ve been in this situation before, so I think we kind of know what to do,” Akil Thomas mentioned after the win, adding, “It’s kind of funny but down two goals with four minutes left, and we’re feeling pretty good.” They feel good largely because of the group they have and the leaders who will them back into games. It’s on display in this playoff run, and Game Two was just another thriller for a team that’s had plenty of them already.
Dillon Dube’s Veteran Presence
Dillon Dube has become a veteran voice on the Thunderbirds this season. His NHL experience makes him the type of player AHL teams want around, as he not only helps them win games but also mentors the younger skaters.
He scored twice in the final minutes to force overtime by powering to the net and finishing scoring chances. Yet, his biggest impact in the game was when he was on the bench. “The way that he’s always talking on the bench or in the dressing room, all those things are contagious,” Ott noted, and during the overtime winning goal by Thomas, he was the vocal one willing the goal into existence.
“He’s one of those guys who creates a great environment in the room, and in overtime I’m on the ice, and I hear him on the bench saying ‘Come on, killer! Score killer, so he’s just a great guy and gets everyone together. He’s a true leader for sure,” Thomas mentioned in a conversation with The Hockey News.
It’s important to note that Dube has a troubled past and a dark history that will stay with him throughout his career. He was one of the “Hockey Canada Five” players who were tried and acquitted for sexual assault. For many fans, his presence in the game is a disgrace, and his suspension wasn’t enough of a punishment; they want to know that Dube has changed as a player and a person.
The Thunderbirds couldn’t speak enough about him and the impact he’s had both as a player and a leader. “On and off the ice, he’s a tremendous person. He’s one of the best teammates I’d seen in the leadership side as well, so you add all those elements, and you put together a heck of a player,” Ott stated. Considering how the team talks about Dube and has throughout this season, he’s changed as a person, especially since his junior hockey days.
Dube has become one of the more mature players on the team. Fans see it with the way he played and the way he scored two goals in Game Two. The Thunderbirds see it in how he acts off the ice. Bringing him in was a risk but it’s paying off in a season that’s been nothing short of remarkable.
The Spark Needed in Overtime
Game Two was the fourth overtime game in the playoffs for the Thunderbirds. Not only do they have experience, but they’ve also had good experience in the extra frame, with a 4-0 record, including two series-clinching goals.
This time around, it was about finding that one big play, that one spark from someone to win the game. It was Thomas beating the Penguin defense on the rush, and as he was getting tripped up, he fired the puck to the net and hoped for the best. And in the playoffs, they don’t ask how.
“I got the puck, and I looked at the net, and I didn’t see a thing. I just decided to shoot it, and I think I missed the net and the next thing I was getting screamed at in my face, so I really didn’t know what happened,” Thomas added afterwards. It’s hard to tell what happened after the shot. Did the puck hit the end boards, then Murashov, and into the goal? Was the puck stopped by the Penguin goaltender initially and slipped out of his reach and into the net? The refs gave it a long look but again, they don’t ask how. What matters is that it gave the Thunderbirds an upset on the road and tied up the series as they head back home for the next two games.
Ott’s Adjustment Paid Off & Gives Them an Edge Heading Back Home
After a rough showing in Game One, Ott made some line changes. Justin Carbonneau is one of the prospects in the St. Louis Blues system who can use the ice time. However, he’s still learning the AHL and isn’t ready for the playoffs. He was out, and in came Julien Gauthier. “One thing we’ve done in all these series is continue to use a lot of bodies. The guys who have continued to step in and come in and do the job for us,” Ott added after the win. Along with Gauthier, the Thunderbirds added Dylan Peterson, another veteran, to the lineup, and it helped them rebound in the third period.
For Ott, it’s about finding the right players and leaning on them. They don’t have a better roster than the Thunderbirds and weren’t better than the Charlotte Checkers of the top-seeded Providence Bruins. It didn’t matter because they had the players who could get hot and take over a series, something Dube has done along with Chris Wagner and Blues’ prospect Aleksanteri Kaskimaki. “You have to see who’s going at the right times and who’s having the focus in practice and knowing when they come in that they can give us great minutes,” Ott noted.
The other big adjustment wasn’t between Game One and Game Two. It came with the marathon that is the season and the spring that is the playoffs. “One of the biggest things he preached early on was being predictable, and when your team is struggling, I think just simplifying everything and being predictable is a way to get out of it, and his methods have worked perfectly,” Thomas mentioned when asked about the impact his coach has had. Ott turned the Thunderbirds around in the regular season as he was hired midseason and willed them to the playoffs. Now, he has them prepared to win in the playoffs.