After a slow start to the season, the Adirondack Thunder largely were written off as little more than an also-ran in the ECHL’s North Division for a third consecutive year.

Not so fast.

With skilled forward Patrick Grasso leading the charge, the Thunder have gotten hot at the right time, rattling off eight straight games without a regulation loss to close to within two points of the Worcester Railers for the fourth, and final, playoff spot in the division with eight games left to play.

“I just feel like it’s one of those things where we felt like we were really close at the beginning of the year, but maybe just missing a bounce here or there or whatever that might be,” Grasso told FloHockey via cell phone. “We’re fortunate enough to have gotten a couple of those bounces as of late, and guys are really starting to play their ‘A games,’ so it’s been great for us.”

Along with getting some breaks to go their way, the Thunder also found motivation in silencing the critics.

“Anytime you have doubters, you want to prove them wrong,” Grasso said. “You take it day-by-day, try to prove those people wrong. We knew that we had a good group from the start, so it was just a matter of putting it all together. We’re trending in the right direction at the right time, hopefully.”

After stopping 89 of 92 shots in three wins last week, @JakeTheut has been named the @WarriorHockey / @ECHL Goaltender of the Week 🐍

— Adirondack Thunder (@ECHLThunder) March 28, 2023

While the team has relied heavily on the goaltending of Jake Theut, who went 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .967 in three appearances against Worcester last week en route to winning ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors, Grasso has been a significant contributor all year long.

The 26-year-old former standout at the University of New Hampshire scored the overtime game-winner in Reading on Wednesday to add to a career-high 32 goals on the season – his second full professional campaign.

“First and foremost, I’ve been able to play with some exceptional players,” Grasso said.  “Playing with Shane Harper, he makes my job a lot easier, obviously. Him, and (Sebastian) Vidmar, some of the other guys I’ve played with throughout the year, they just make it so I have to get open for them. They’re so skilled, and they buy me so much time. It’s just trying to keep it simple and play to my identity as a player, so it’s been a lot of fun this year.”

Grasso’s been knocking on the door of the next level over the last two seasons, earning multiple callups to the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets and Cleveland Monsters.

While he remains focused on the task at hand with Adirondack, he also is hopeful that he’s earned an extended look at some point with his consistent production in the ECHL.

“It’s tough, because it’s such a fine line, especially as an undrafted guy,” he said. “As somebody who’s in a call-up situation, you know you’re going to get not limited minutes, but maybe not as much opportunity as some other guys. So, you just have to be ready at all times and be able to take advantage of that when you do get the opportunities.”

What a set of passes from Harps and Grasso! pic.twitter.com/6OPo2l5vfC

— Adirondack Thunder (@ECHLThunder) March 30, 2023

Without looking too far down the road, Grasso likes his routine to be as reliable and consistent as his performances.

He also knows he’ll have to pay his dues along the way, so there will be some patience involved, too.

“You try to do the same things every day, try to be as consistent as possible, and God willing, something happens, and you get an opportunity somewhere – you just have to remember the game that got you there (when you’re in the AHL),” Grasso said. “When you’re getting more minutes, you’re not trying to press as much, and that’s usually when you have success, so you have to know when you do get up there, you don’t have to change things and try to do it a different way. They bring you up there for a reason, and you want to prove that you belong there.”

As for the Thunder, they continue to prove they belong in the playoff race.

They’ll have every chance to move past the Railers as well, as five of their eight remaining regular-season games are against Worcester. 

That’s something that hasn’t gone unnoticed to Grasso or the group.

“We take it one day at a time, especially with the position we’re in,” he said. “Every point matters, but we know who we’re chasing, and it’s no secret we play them eight out of last 12 games or something. So, we definitely highlight those games on the calendar, and those are four-point games for us every night. We just try to take advantage of those and play the game the way we’ve been playing the last couple weeks.”