Unlikely hero #1: 5th year Connecticut Whale right wing Andreas Thuresson(55) scores the overtime winning goal at 2:53 in game 1 of the Calder Cup Eastern Conference Semi-Finals vs. the red-hot Norfolk Admirals to take the series lead 1-0 on enemy ice.
Originally a 5th round pick by Nashville Predators in the 2007 draft (##144 overall) the Swedish-born 6’1″ 211 lbs. forward has played 277 regular season games with their AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals scoring 53 goals and 65 assists.
He has also appeared in 25 NHL games over a couple of seasons and put a goal and a pair of assists up on the scoresheet.
A peek at his postseason stats of 8 goals and 11 assists in 37 games suggests he’s more than capable of coming through with that big point when it counts.
He was traded to New York Rangers on the day after free agency began and signed to a one-year, two-way contract. We think they’ll issue him a qualifying offer for another season.
