Boy, November was a whirlwind of a month for the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The Thunderbirds started the month off in the bottom half of the Atlantic Division, but at the end of the month, as of the writing of this, they sit in fourth place in the division. Now, the Atlantic may be one of the crazier divisions of all four in the American Hockey League, but fourth place is fourth place.
In 11 games in the 11th month of the year, Springfield went 6-3-2-0 and is looking to improve on that record going into the month of December. Here’s who stuck out as the three stars for the month of November.
Third Star – Vadim Zherenko (G)
In his first year as the only returning goaltender in Springfield, Vadim Zherenko has quickly gone from uh-oh-to-hero in just 10 decisions in net.
Zherenko holds a record of 6-3-0-1 and holds a .921 SV% and 2.79 GAA. Now while both of those numbers may not be eye-popping, they are both career-highs for the seventh round draft pick.
Fellow goaltender Malcolm Subban is seemingly garnering much of the media attention, but eyes internally are on Zherenko. Despite Subban’s NHL pedigree, Zherenko hopes to be the one to get the nod if either netminder at the NHL-level were to go down.
Second Star – Hugh McGing (F)
In November, the second star was such an internal battle for the Thunderbirds roster, as their depth spoke volumes. It seemed like the team had a constant next-man-up mentality throughout the month.
Springfield seemed undeterred whenever anyone would go on a goal-scoring streak, and Hugh McGing exemplified that perfectly. McGing tallied 11 points in November to the tune of four goals and seven assists.
Now, while his goals were spread out over the course of November, almost every night he contributed, was a multi-point affair. Watch for McGing to be a fixture in the offense moving forward. The only exception to this being November 3 vs. the Belleville Senators where he had just one goal, and no assists.
First star – Adam Gaudette (F)
The first star for the month of November is, none other than last months’ first star, Adam Gaudette.
I know what you’re all thinking, this guy again? Really? The real question, I’m asking is not WHY, but HOW I’m able to put Gaudette’s name in here two months in a row. It’s not that he is not good because, thanks to a New York Rangers call-up of Jonny Brodzinski, he actually leads the AHL in points.
In the month of November, Gaudette matched his point total from October with 11, but only scored four goals and tallied seven assists including five multi-point games.
The Braintree, Massachusetts native had two multi-goal games. In the second two-goal game, he tallied 10 shots on goal. Gaudette has solidified his place as a solid piece in the Thunderbirds’ lineup, how long he stays down in the AHL remains to be seen.
Honorable mention: Matthew Peca (F)
Throughout the last month, Matthew Peca has slowed a bit from where he started the season.
The captain, however, has remained unphased and still stays engaged in the game racking up eight points in the last month of play. Two of his points came in a multi-goal effort against one of their bitter rivals, the Bridgeport Islanders.
Peca also remained disciplined only getting called for two penalties throughout the entire month. Definitely captain-worthy play, and someone that head coach Drew Bannister can count on.
What’s next for Springfield?
Springfield’s next game is on Friday, December 1, when they take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at home for the first time all season. The Thunderbirds will look to avenge a 3-1 loss – puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
