Sateri helps carry AHL Springfield to 7-game hot streak
This might sound familiar — a team that struggled in the beginning of the season gets hot behind familiarity with a new system, strong goaltending and onegoal victories.
Much like the Florida Panthers, the organization’s AHL affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds are riding a hot streak, collecting points in their past seven games, including wins in five of the past six.
“The group understood how we have to play, play tight checking, play good without the puck, goaltending’s been really good,” Springfield coach Geordie Kinnear said. “And we’ve been winning those onegoal games.”
The Thunderbirds (27-28-4) won two of their three games across consecutive days last weekend, beating Hartford, 5-4, in overtime Friday, losing to Charlotte, 3-2, in overtime Saturday, and winning in Providence, 2-0, Sunday. They are 10-0-3 in their last 13 one-goal games.
One of the stars during the Thunderbirds’ sevengame point streak is one of the players who helped save the Panthers’ season — goaltender Harri Sateri.
When he was in the NHL with the Panthers last month, Sateri led the team on a four-game winning streak immediately after the All-Star break. He was named the NHL’s second star of the week as he filled in for the injured Roberto Luongo and James Reimer.
Once Luongo and Reimer got healthy, Sateri returned to Springfield. In his first five games back in the AHL, he has a .955 save percentage to go with a 5-0-0 record and 1.60 goals against average.
“He’s a confident goaltender, manages the game really well,” Kinnear said. “If we get scrambling, he gets us a whistle. His rebound control has been great. The whole overall competitiveness ... has energized the group. He’s been really good since he’s been down.”
Sateri’s strong showings in both the NHL and the AHL come at an opportune time for the 28-year-old. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, likely an attractive, low-cost option for teams searching for goaltending.
Originally a fourth-round pick in 2008, Sateri played parts of four seasons with San Jose’s AHL team before spending three years in the Kontinental Hockey League.
“What I’ve liked about him is it wasn’t easy for him at the start, but his work ethic never went away,” Kinnear said. “He almost became more determined. I think you see his rewards for his work. A lot of people are determined until it gets hard. It was hard for him and he just became more determined.”
Double duty
Naturally defenseman, Ed Wittchow, 25, has been doing double duty at forward for Springfield.
“He has a lot of pace to his game, he’s a big body that can get in on the forecheck and hang onto pucks down low,” Kinnear said.
Wittchow has four goals and seven assists in 45 games this season.
Wittchow was one of the last nine defensemen remaining in training camp. He and Josh Brown were cut as the Panthers opted to keep MacKenzie Weegar and Ian McCoshen up.