The Springfield Thunderbirds have advanced to the Atlantic Division finals after defeating the Providence Bruins in four games. They’ll take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
In the first round, the Springfield Thunderbirds, the St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliate, defeated the Charlotte Checkers in three games.
The Checkers had gone to the Calder Cup finals just a year ago. The Round 1 win set up a matchup against the Providence Bruins, the AHL’s top team during the regular season.
The Thunderbirds were pushed to the brink in the first round, but they took care of the Bruins in the second round in just four games, with Dillon Dube scoring the overtime winning goal.
With the win, the Thunderbirds completed what is statistically the largest upset in Calder Cup Playoff history, eliminating a Bruins team that had finished 38 points ahead of them in the regular-season standings, according to AHL.com.
The Thunderbirds advance to face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
The Thunderbirds’ roster is only getting stronger. Following their eliminations from the CHL playoffs, 2024 first-round pick Adam Jiricek and 2025 first-round pick Justin Carbonneau joined the Thunderbirds’ roster for Game 4.
Although they were both unable to record any points, it’s valuable experience, and they could play important factors in the next round of the playoffs.
The Atlantic Division finals begin on May 12, with the Thunderbirds starting on the road.
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