Springfield, MA – The Springfield Thunderbirds (14-20-1-1) hit the rewind button on Saturday night as they will wear 1990s Springfield Indians jerseys for Blast from the Past Night against the Providence Bruins (21-9-3-0) at the MassMutual Center. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

 

The Bruins sit atop the Atlantic Division with a .682 points percentage to go along with their division-best 21 victories. They came away victorious, 2-1, in a shootout on Dec. 23 inside the MassMutual Center. Jordan Binnington and Sam Montembeault battled toe-to-toe on that evening, with Binnington stopping 23 of 24 shots in regulation and overtime en route to the win.

 

Named to the AHL All-Star Classic this week, Binnington has been marvelous for the Bruins, posting a 9-1-1 record to go along with a microscopic 1.51 goals against average and .941 save percentage. He will be joined by Austin Czarnik, who has posted 29 points in 27 games in Providence this season.

 

Providence has earned nine of a possible 10 points against the Thunderbirds this season, losing only once in overtime on Nov. 12 while winning each of the other four games with Springfield. Providence is 12-3-2-0 all time against the Thunderbirds.

 

The Thunderbirds will look to bounce back after succumbing to a Penguins team that scored three goals on just four third period shots a night ago on their way to a 4-2 win over Springfield. Mark Fayne andDryden Hunt scored for the Thunderbirds in defeat.

 

Curtis Valk has points in three straight games and leads all Thunderbirds with five points in five games against the Bruins this season. He is one point away from 30 on the season, which would make him the sixth player in Thunderbirds history to reach the 30-point mark in a single season.

 

On the Providence side, Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson continued to be a thorn in the sides of the Thunderbirds when he scored in regulation and the shootout to account for both Bruins tallies in the 2-1 win on Dec. 23. The rookie has six points in five games against the Thunderbirds. Kenny Agostino, Peter Cehlarik, Zach Senyshyn and Jordan Szwarz have also accounted for a point-per-game against Springfield this year.

 

Should Montembeault get a ninth consecutive start in the Springfield net tonight, he will look for his first win against Providence despite posting a 2.61 goals against average in his first three starts against Providence.

 

Fans arriving to the game can purchase Springfield Indians merchandise on the concourse and stay post-game for a live auction of the game-worn Indians jerseys.

 

The Thunderbirds head back to the road for a trio of games away from Springfield next week, beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 10 in Hershey for a 7:00 puck drop against the Bears.

 

Springfield Thunderbirds fans are encouraged to visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn more about Thunderbirds Ticket Memberships. Packages include a wide range of benefits, including a refillable collector’s mug. For more information or to order now, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.