Springfield, MA- The Springfield Thunderbirds (28-30-9-2) took down the league's top team on Friday, and on Saturday they will welcome the Providence Bruins (40-19-5-4) to the MassMutual Center for a 7:05 p.m. ET start.

The Thunderbirds have had trouble with Providence this season, as the Bruins have racked up an 8-1-1-0 record against Springfield, including victories in each of the last six meetings. 

The Bruins will welcome a highly-touted prospect on Saturday, as 19-year-old defenseman Charlie McAvoy is expected to make his AHL debut. Selected by Boston in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft out of Boston University, McAvoy completed his collegiate career when Boston University was eliminated from the NCAA tournament by Minnesota-Duluth. 

In two seasons with the Terriers, McAvoy scored eight goals and added 43 assists over 75 games. He also captured a World Junior Championship gold medal with Team USA this past January. McAvoy recorded six points in seven tournament games while being named to the tournament's All-Star team.

Springfield will look to quiet McAvoy and the Bruins to pick up their first triumph over Providence since Jan. 6 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The Thunderbirds have been a tough out for their opponents on home ice lately, going 8-2-0-0 in their last ten games inside the MassMutual Center.

The Thunderbirds are coming off their fourth victory in six tries against the AHL's top team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 3-1 win on Friday night featured a marvelous 27-save performance from goaltender Sam Brittain  and goals from Matt MacKenzie, Anthony Greco, and Kyle Rau.

After the conclusion of play on Saturday, the Thunderbirds have six games left on their inaugural campaign, beginning with a Tuesday morning game at Bridgeport for an 11:00 a.m. start.

Interested in being part of the next era of AHL hockey in Springfield? Springfield Thunderbirds 2017-18 Ticket Memberships start as low as $12 per game and feature the most exclusive benefits, including a commemorative jersey and brand new Collectors Mug. For more information, fans may call the Thunderbirds ticket office at (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.