Islanders Host Bruins Tonight
Jan 5, 2022The Bridgeport Islanders (10-16-3-3), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, host the Providence Bruins (13-8-3-1) in their first home game of 2022. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. tonight at Webster Bank Arena. The Islanders are looking to snap a four-game slide (0-2-2) following a 3-2 overtime loss at Hershey on Sunday. Chris Terry and Erik Brown each scored to help the Isles secure one point, while Ken Appleby (0-2-2) made 24 saves.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the fifth of 12 meetings between the Islanders and Bruins this season, and the fourth of six in Connecticut. Bridgeport is 1-1-0-2 against Boston’s affiliate so far, earning a 6-4 win at home on Oct. 30th and collecting one point in their last tilt on Dec. 15th. Cole Bardreau notched his second goal of the season to break a scoreless deadlock late in the first period, but Alex-Olivier Voyer answered in the second and Providence persevered in a five-round shootout (2-1 final). The two Atlantic Division rivals will meet four times this month alone, including three games in a row Jan. 16-22.
VIEW FROM PROVIDENCE
The Bruins are fourth in the Atlantic Division with 30 points in 25 games, seven games fewer than Bridgeport. Ryan Mougenel’s club is 7-3-0-0 in its last 10 games and enters tonight’s matchup following back-to-back wins, including a 7-1 beatdown of the Springfield Thunderbirds on Sunday. Joona Koppanen (two goals, one assist) and Cameron Hughes each scored twice and Alex-Olivier Voyer also had three points (one goal, two assists) to help Providence record a season-high seven goals. Troy Grosenick (6-1-1) made 26 saves for his team-leading sixth win and now ranks fourth among all AHL netminders with a 1.92 goals-against-average.
TERRY TIME
Bridgeport’s leading scorer Chris Terry bolstered his numbers even more this past week, earning points in three of the club’s four games. Terry scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season at 12:49 of the first period on Sunday in Hershey, which was also his team-best 26th point. The five-time AHL All-Star has points in 12 of Bridgeport’s last 15 games dating back to Nov. 24th. His 26 points in 29 games rank seventh among all AHL players and his 101 shots are tied for second most.
BACK AND IN BUSINESS
New York Islanders prospects Michael Dal Colle and Otto Koivula returned to the lineup last weekend and immediately made an impact on the scoresheet. Dal Colle, who was loaned from New York on Saturday, scored the team’s only goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to Lehigh Valley later that night, and added an assist on Sunday. He made his NHL season debut last Thursday in a 4-1 win against Buffalo. In the AHL, Dal Colle has five goals and eight points in just 10 games this season. Koivula missed three games but returned on Saturday and logged an assist in each contest over the weekend. He leads Bridgeport with 16 assists and ranks second in scoring (22 points) in 24 AHL games.
WHEN 60 MINUTES ISN’T ENOUGH
The Islanders have gone past regulation in three of their last five games and four of their last eight. In addition, Bridgeport has gone to overtime on nine occasions this season, tied for second-most in the entire league. The Islanders are 3-6 overall when needing extra time: 2-3 in five-minute overtime sessions and 1-3 in shootouts.
QUICK HITS
Jakub Skarek (7-8-3) has started in five of Bridgeport’s last seven games… He is third among all AHL netminders in minutes played (1,106:11) and fifth in saves (514)… The Islanders open a three-game homestand tonight that runs through Sunday… The club is 6-8-0-1 on home ice this season and is currently on a four-game slide at Webster Bank Arena (0-3-0-1)… Simon Holmstrom was returned to Bridgeport from the New York Islanders taxi squad today… His last game was Dec. 22nd at Hartford.
AFFILIATE REPORT
New York Islanders (10-12-6); Last: 3-2 OTW vs. EDM, Saturday -- Next: Jan. 13th vs. NJ, 7:30 p.m.
Worcester Railers (9-13-0-1); Last: 5-3 W vs. REA, Sunday -- Next: Friday at REA, 7 p.m.