By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
As the Providence Bruins clinched the American Hockey League’s best record this season, they will have to wait to find out which team they will play in the best-of-five Division Semifinals in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs. Two games remain in Providence’s season, with a back-to-back this weekend against the Utica Comets, but the Atlantic Division standings could change in the last week of the regular season.
After the best-of-three round one series, Providence will then have an opponent to face in the Division Semifinals. Providence, having home-ice advantage throughout the AHL Playoffs, can be very helpful in the pursuit of the Calder Cup championship. The Springfield Thunderbirds can be a potential opponent when Providence begins the 2026 playoffs. Despite the current 42-point differential between the two teams in the standings, Providence should worry if they have to face Springfield to begin the playoffs.
Providence and Springfield played each other 12 times this season, the last time was this past Sunday at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Providence earned a 1-0 win behind Riley Tufte scoring the game’s only goal in the third period, and goaltender Michael DiPietro recording a 20-save shutout. The win helped Providence clinch the AHL’s best record this season, but it was a tough win to earn.
In the end, Providence won seven of the 12 games in the season series against Springfield, but it was closer than some may realize. Six of the games between Providence and Springfield were decided by one goal. The five losses that Providence had against Springfield were the most the team had against any AHL team this season.
Providence won three of the first four games against Springfield. Dec. 27 marked the fourth game between the two teams, and Providence embarrassed Springfield behind a 7-1 road win. Providence appeared to be on the right track to dominate the season series against Springfield. After the Dec. 27 embarrassment, Springfield won four of the next eight games against Providence, not bad for a team after losing by six goals in the fourth game. Along with winning four of the next eight games, Springfield’s goaltending between Georgi Romanov, Vadim Zherenko, and Will Cranley never allowed four goals in a single game against Providence for the remainder of the season when the two teams met.
The 2025 AHL Playoffs are another reason for Providence to worry about facing Springfield. Providence met Springfield in the first round of the 2025 AHL Playoffs and won the series in three games. Springfield scored just three goals in the entire series, and it makes them very eager for playoff revenge against Providence. Adding in the fact that Providence is the AHL’s best team in 2026, it gives Springfield even more motivation for a playoff upset.
Recent road play from Springfield is another reason for Providence to worry. Springfield won two of the last three meetings against Providence at Amica Mutual Pavilion. With Springfield having earned two big recent road wins against Providence, they can be a team that is capable of winning on the road in the playoffs.
There’s still no guarantee that Springfield will clinch a spot in the 2026 playoffs. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms trail Springfield by two points for the Atlantic Division’s sixth seed. Along with that, Springfield’s position in the standings can change, with the Hershey Bears and Bridgeport Islanders being in the playoff picture. Bridgeport is the only one of those four teams to have clinched a spot in the 2026 playoffs. However, Providence should worry about facing Springfield if they have to in the Division Semifinals.
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