Islanders Meet Wolf Pack in Mid-Week Matchup
Nov 17, 2021The Bridgeport Islanders (5-6-1-2) continue a season-long, five-game road trip tonight with their third visit to the XL Center in Hartford. Tonight’s contest is the fifth of 10 matchups between the Islanders and Hartford Wolf Pack (9-3-1-0), which gets underway at 7 p.m. Bridgeport enters the evening with points in three of its last four games, but suffered a 3-2 regulation loss to the Belleville Senators at CAA Arena on Saturday. Arnaud Durandeau and Austin Czarnik each scored, and Cory Schneider made 24 saves. The Islanders are 1-1-1-0 through their first three games of the road trip, with their only win on the road this season coming one week ago in Syracuse (3-1).
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the fourth meeting between Bridgeport and Hartford in an 18-day span, and the fifth overall. The Islanders are 1-3-0-0 against the Wolf Pack this season, earning a 3-2 victory at Webster Bank Arena in their last meeting on Nov. 7th. Arnaud Durandeau scored once and added two assists that afternoon and now leads all players in the season series with five points (one goal, four assists). The New York Rangers’ affiliate (Hartford) won each of the first three matchups and is 2-0-0-0 in the series at home, outscoring Bridgeport 9-5 at the XL Center.
VIEW FROM HARTFORD
The Wolf Pack have won two straight games and five of their last six, improving to second place in the Atlantic Division (9-3-1-0, 19 points). Last time out, Hartford earned a 2-1 overtime win against the Providence Bruins on the road, led by Anthony’s Greco’s game-winner 65 seconds into OT on Saturday. Captain Jonny Brodzinski also scored his fourth goal of the season and Adam Huska made 24 saves in net. Brodzinski is tied for seventh in the AHL’s scoring race with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists), while Huska is fifth among all AHL goalies in goals-against-average (2.77), and fourth in save percentage (.938). His teammate Keith Kinkaid is tied for the league lead in wins (6).
A TERRY TALE
Chris Terry has six points (two goals, four assists) in his last three games and is on a three-game point streak for the first time this season. His three-point effort on Friday in Laval was his first with Bridgeport and first since Jan. 11, 2020 with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Terry leads the Isles with six goals (one ahead of Anatolii Golyshev) and is tied for second on the team in scoring with 11 points in 11 games. He is currently the only point-per-game player with Bridgeport. Terry has 563 career points (239 goals, 324 assists) in 637 AHL games, which is 68th on the league’s all-time scoring list.
SKAREK STAYS STRONG
Jakub Skarek held down the crease in two games last week, going 1-0-1 including a 35-save victory in Syracuse on Wednesday. Skarek improved to 5-1-1 in nine appearances this season and is unbeaten in regulation in each of his last seven decisions (5-0-2). Skarek has been Bridgeport’s workhorse in the blue paint and ranks fifth among all AHL goaltenders in minutes played (509) and saves (244).
QUICK HITS
Otto Koivula leads the Islanders in scoring (12 points) and has at least one point in 10 of the last 12 games... He is tied for 16th in the AHL’s scoring race and tied for sixth in assists (10)... Robin Salo is tied for 10th among all AHL defensemen with eight points (two goals, six assists)… Arnaud Durandeau has three goals and five points in his last four games… He is third on the team in goals (four) and shots (36), and tied for second in points (11)… Bridgeport is 2-1-1-0 against North Division opponents and 3-5-0-2 against the Atlantic… Each of the next eight games will be within the Atlantic Division.
ACROSS THE SOUND
New York Islanders (5-6-2); Last: 6-1 L at Florida, last night -- Next: Saturday vs. Calgary, 7 p.m.
Worcester Railers (2-5-0-1): Last: 5-3 L at Newfoundland, Sunday - Next: Tonight at Trois Rivieres, 7 p.m.