"We know we have a really good team, and we backed it up with great goaltending," Steve Ott
The Springfield Thunderbirds were the final team to make the cut in the Atlantic Division. They were the wild card team that faced the top-seeded Providence Bruins, the best team in the American Hockey League, who finished the season with 38 more points in the standings.
Per the league, this was the biggest upset in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Thunderbirds shocked everyone when they took Game Four in overtime to complete the 3-1 series upset.
By all means, this was an upset. However, it's not a surprise. Yes, the Bruins were a hot pick to win the Cup, with the best record, coach, and goaltender in the AHL. At the same time, this Thunderbird team is playing the right way at the right time and better than many people have given them credit for, until now. "We know we have a really good team, and we backed it up with great goaltending," Steve Ott stated after the Game Four 1-0 overtime win, a win that punched their ticket to the Atlantic Division Final.
Thunderbirds New Identity Under Steve Ott
If there's any head coach in the AHL who has raised his stock the most, it's Steve Ott. He was a long-time assistant with the St. Louis Blues, looking to remove any doubt that he could coach at any level. He was hired to lead the Blues' AHL team midseason and turned them into a great team down the stretch.
The first thing was the buy-in. Ott demanded his players win on both ends and play any type of game that gets thrown at them. It wasn't easy, and the Thunderbirds had to move some players out because of it but over time, they adjusted. The difference in how they've looked since is night and day.
Then there's the on-ice details. The Thunderbirds play with structure, in the defensive zone and in the offensive zone. It's helped out the goaltending and allowed them to move the puck with a purpose. When they start up the rush, they aren't playing a chaotic style; instead, every pass is intentional.
The playoffs have put Ott's coaching on full display. The Thunderbirds don't have a better team than the Charlotte Checkers, and it showed after an embarrassing 8-1 loss. However, Ott started matching lines and leaning on his stars to win games. It's how Chris Wagner, Dillon Dube, and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki have scored the big-time goals during this run for the Thunderbirds because Ott has the confidence in those top-six skaters to match up against anyone.
Georgii Romanov's Play in the Net Gives Them a Chance
Michael DiPietro was the AHL's Goaltender of the Year for the season year in a row, and he showed why in this series with multiple great performances. However, the league's best goaltender ran into the hottest.
Georgii Romanov had a roller coaster start to his career as he was thrown into the fire on a rebuilding San Jose Sharks team. Teams gave up on him even when goaltending takes time to develop. Even this season was a rough one for Romanov as he struggled in a backup role for the Thunderbirds, with an .896 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.29 goals-against average (GAA).
Yet, Romanov has gotten hot in time for the playoffs. He's allowed only nine goals in six starts, and against the Bruins, he allowed only six goals in the four-game series. His Game Four performance was arguably the best of his career as he saved 37 shots in the 1-0 overtime win.
Last season, Arturs Silovs played his best in the playoffs to lead the Abbotsford Canucks to the Calder Cup title. Romanov wasn't a great goaltender this season but with the way he's playing, he can lead the Thunderbirds to the Calder Cup.
They've Been Battle Tested Already, Making Wilkes-Barre a Fun Matchup
Everyone wrote the Thunderbirds off halfway through the season when they looked like one of the worst teams in the AHL. When they lost Game One to the Checkers, they looked done. Yet, the Thunderbirds battled back, winning Game Three against the Checkers in overtime and then winning Game Three and Game Four against the Bruins in overtime.
They've had their backs to the wall and have been playing playoff hockey for months. It's why the high-pressure moments don't faze them. Beating the Bruins, which is considered the biggest upset in league history, certainly in the modern era of the AHL, isn't surprising.
They face the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins next, the team with the second-best record in the Atlantic Division and the third-best record in the league. The popular pick to win this series will be the Penguins. However, the Thunderbirds have proven they can't be counted out. They'll make this Atlantic Division Final a great series and one that might go the distance.