Game Day: Islanders at Checkers
Oct 25, 2024THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (1-3-1-0) make their first of two trips to North Carolina this season for a weekend doubleheader against the Charlotte Checkers (3-1-0-0) at Bojangles Coliseum. Puck drop is 7 p.m. tonight and 6 p.m. tomorrow. The Islanders begin the weekend in search of their second straight victory following a 4-0 win against the Hartford Wolf Pack last Sunday. Jakub Skarek (1-1-0) made 24 saves for his fifth career AHL shutout, while Alex Jefferies scored for the third straight contest and Brian Pinho notched his second shorthanded goal in five games. Bridgeport opened the season with four of its first five games at home, but will play five of its next six on the road.
Watch tonight's game live: AHLTV on FloHockey
Listen to tonight's radio broadcast: Mixlr
GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the second of eight meetings between the Islanders and Checkers this season, and the first of four in North Carolina. Charlotte earned a 3-0 win in the series opener on Sunday, Oct. 13th, as former Islanders goaltender Ken Appleby stopped all 21 shots in his Checkers debut. Rasmus Asplund scored two goals and Aidan McDonough’s game-winner came 3:28 into the second period. Jakub Skarek made 35 saves for the Islanders.
VIEW FROM CHARLOTTE
Head coach Geordie Kinnear’s club won its first three games of the season before a 4-2 setback to the Cleveland Monsters at home on Saturday. John Leonard and Matt Luff both scored their first goals with the Checkers, while Ken Appleby (1-1-0) made 26 saves. Cleveland’s Trey Fix-Wolansky notched the eventual game-winning goal on a penalty shot with just 1:53 to play. Aidan McDonough was held off the scoresheet for the first time this season but continues to lead the Checkers with six goals. He is second in the AHL overall, only trailing Rory Kerins, who has seven goals for Calgary.
THREE’S COMPANY
Alex Jefferies has scored a goal in three straight games, and Chris Terry has earned an assist in three consecutive contests. They’re the longest respective streaks for the Islanders this season. Jefferies is tied for third among all AHL rookies in goals (3) and shares fifth in points (5) through four appearances. He has both Islanders’ power-play goals this season and is tied for first among AHL rookies in that category. Terry has four points (1g, 3a) in five games this season and enters the weekend with 799 career points in his professional career. That includes 745 points (312g, 433a) in the AHL, 38 points (22g, 16a) in the NHL, and 16 points (8g, 8a) in the KHL.
DANGEROUS A MAN DOWN
Brian Pinho scored his second shorthanded goal in five games on Sunday, which stood as the winner in a 4-0 victory against Hartford. He and Charlotte’s Rasmus Asplund are tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals and shorthanded points. Pinho has nine career shorthanded goals in 302 AHL games dating back to his rookie season in 2018-19. Sunday was his first game-winning goal since Feb. 19, 2022 - which also came shorthanded.
QUICK HITS
Pierre Engvall is expected to play his 100th AHL game tonight... He has 57 points (31g, 26a) in 99 AHL games with Bridgeport and Toronto... Christian Krygier was recalled from the Worcester Railers (ECHL) on Sunday and recorded one shot in his AHL season debut... The New York Islanders assigned Julien Gauthier to Bridgeport on Tuesday and recalled Liam Foudy... Gauthier played one game for New York this season, logging 7:42 against Montreal last Saturday... Foudy played 7:52 in his Islanders debut against Detroit on Tuesday.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (2-2-2): Last: 1-0 L vs. Detroit, Tuesday -- Tonight at New Jersey, 7 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (0-2-0-0): Last: 2-1 L vs. Reading, Sunday -- Tonight at Trois Rivières, 7 p.m. ET