Game Day: Islanders vs. Wolf Pack
Oct 20, 2024THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (0-3-1-0) return to Total Mortgage Arena this afternoon for a 3 p.m. rematch against the Hartford Wolf Pack (2-0-0-1) to conclude a home-and-home series. Less than 24 hours ago, Matt Maggio and Liam Foudy each had three assists and Fredrik Karlstrom scored his first two goals for the Islanders in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Wolf Pack at XL Center. Marcus Hogberg (0-2-1) made a season-high 37 saves in the road opener.
Watch today's game live: AHLTV on FloHockey
Listen to today's radio broadcast: Mixlr
ISLANDERS VS. WOLF PACK
Today’s game is the second of 10 meetings in the “Battle of Connecticut” and the first of five matchups at Total Mortgage Arena. Bridgeport went 3-6-1-0 against its in-state rival last season and 1-3-1-0 in those games at home, earning a 3-2 shootout win in their last meeting at Total Mortgage Arena on Mar. 9th. William Dufour and Brian Pinho scored the goals in regulation that night, while Jakub Skarek (0-1-0) made 24 saves in net.
VIEW FROM HARTFORD
The Wolf Pack won their home opener on Friday by outlasting the Springfield Thunderbirds in a chaotic, 6-5 final at XL Center. Hartford scored four times in the first period and was terrific on special teams, going 2-for-5 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the kill. Jaroslav Chmelar (two goals, one assist) and Brett Berard (one goal, two assists) each had a three-point performance, while former first-round draft pick Brennan Othmann scored twice in the opening frame. Head coach Grant Potulny’s club followed that up with a 5-4 overtime win against the Islanders last night, in which Brett Berard’s second goal of the game ended the contest 1:38 into OT. Benoit-Olivier Groulx had four points last night (two goals, two assists) and Dylan Garand (1-0-0) made 30 saves in his season debut.
JEFFERIES STAYS HOT
Rookie forward Alex Jefferies has scored a power-play goal in back-to-back games and is tied for the team lead with four points (two goals, two assists) on the season. He recorded his first pro multi-point game on Wednesday when he scored on the power play and added an assist against Hershey. The 22-year-old has points in all three of his appearances this season and is tied for third among all AHL rookies in points. A fourth-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2020, Jefferies has 11 points (6g, 5a) in 15 pro games dating back to the end of last season.
BIG NIGHT FOR FOUDY, MAGGIO
Forwards Liam Foudy and Matt Maggio each recorded three assists in Hartford last night, setting up every even-strength goal that the Islanders scored. It was Foudy’s second career three-assist effort and first since Apr. 10, 2021 at Rochester (as a member of the Cleveland Monsters). Foudy now leads the Islanders in assists (four) and is tied with Jefferies for the team lead in scoring. For Maggio, it set a new single-game career high in both points and assists.
QUICK HITS
Chris Terry has points in back-to-back games (one goal, two assists) after setting up Alex Jefferies’ power-play goal last night... Terry’s assist was his 744th career point in the AHL, tying Fred Thurier (1937-52) for 21st on the all-time list... Marcus Hogberg is third among AHL goaltenders in minutes played (178:54) and fourth in saves (76)... Bridgeport has not scored first in a game yet this season... The Islanders recorded a season-high 34 shots-on-goal last night, but allowed a season-high 42 shots... Bridgeport won’t host Hartford at Total Mortgage Arena again until Dec. 4th.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (2-1-2): Last: 4-3 SOW vs. Montreal, last night -- Tuesday vs. Detroit, 7:45 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (0-1-0-0): Last: 2-1 L vs. Reading, last night -- Today vs. Reading, 3:05 p.m. ET