SPRINGFIELD, Ma. - The Springfield Thunderbirds (10-12-1-4) will skate in back-to-back games prior to a brief holiday break. The squad visits the Hartford Wolf Pack (9-11-1-4) on Thursday night at the XL Center in Hartford for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop before returning to the MassMutual Center to face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (12-11-2-1) on Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

Both sides of the I-91 rivalry have a win apiece over the span of two games this season. The T-Birds, led by a Josh Leivo hat trick, came out on top of the Pack by a 5-1 score on Nov. 4 in Springfield. Hartford returned the favor with a 2-1 shootout win inside the XL Center five nights later. 23 of the last 32 games between the foes have been won by the home team.

Goal scoring has been hard to come by for both the T-Birds and Wolf Pack in the 2022-23 season. Hartford sits at the bottom of the AHL with San Diego, averaging just 2.52 goals per game, while the T-Birds have only managed 2.67 tallies per night as they deal with injuries to seven different skaters.

Even despite taking a loss in the Thunderbirds' last contest in Utica on Saturday, Joel Hofer remains in the top 10 in the AHL among goaltenders in goals-against average (2.40) and save percentage (.922). Only Calgary's Dustin Wolf has played more minutes than the 22-year-old Hofer in the 2022-23 season. 

Springfield received one key piece back from the St. Louis Blues earlier this week, as AHL shorthanded goals leader Will Bitten was assigned back to the T-Birds following his first-ever NHL recall. Bitten skated in four games for St. Louis, registering his first career NHL point with an assist on Dec. 6 against the New York Islanders.

Lehigh Valley enters the week in the midst of a three-game losing streak, but the Phantoms have also split the first two matchups against the T-Birds during the season series. Springfield fell 2-1 in Allentown on Nov. 11 before getting payback in the form of an Anthony Angello hat trick in a 6-4 win on Nov. 20 in Springfield.

After the break for the holidays, the T-Birds return to the ice on Wednesday, Dec. 28 in a 7:05 p.m. matchup on home ice against the Wolf Pack.

Thunderbirds fans can reserve their seats for the 2022-23 season and lock in the best prices and member benefits by calling (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.