With the Springfield Thunderbirds about to start their next Calder Cup playoff series on Sunday, Steven Santini has been assigned back to the AHL.
The St. Louis Blues defenseman played just three minutes in his one NHL playoff appearance this season, game four against the Minnesota Wild. That was just five shifts as the team tried to get through some injuries on defense and ended up dressing an extra body.
Now, Santini can go back to Springfield where he spent most of the season, and help them try to get past the Charlotte Checkers, a team the Thunderbirds have been battling all season long. The two clubs finished with the exact same winning percentage in the Atlantic Division, but Springfield lost the tiebreaker, meaning home ice advantage goes to Charlotte. Because it’s a five-game series, that means things actually start off in Springfield on Sunday afternoon.
Santini, 27, had 24 points in 66 games for Springfield this season and is signed through next year on a two-way contract with the Blues.
(cheers) We need all the guys we can get!