Opening Night Preview: Islanders vs. Bruins
Oct 12, 2024THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (0-0-0-0) begin their 24th AHL season with a 7 p.m. puck drop against the Providence Bruins (0-1-0-0) at Total Mortgage Arena tonight. It’s the first time in eight years that Bridgeport has opened its season at home, most recently doing so on Oct. 15, 2016 - also against Providence. The Islanders, who host Charlotte tomorrow afternoon and Hershey on Wednesday night, will begin the regular season with three consecutive home games for the first time since 2015-16.
Watch tonight's game live: AHLTV on FloHockey
Listen to tonight's radio broadcast: Mixlr
BLOCK PARTY AND GIVEAWAYS
In the team’s annual tradition, fans will be treated to a pre-game block party on the Total Mortgage Arena Plaza from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. tonight, featuring live music, food, and drinks. Islanders’ fans will also have the opportunity to get their hands on new ‘Fisherman’ merchandise for the very first time. The first 2,500 fans in attendance tonight will receive a Fisherman bucket hat and an LED bracelet when doors open at 6 p.m.
GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the first of 12 meetings between the Islanders and Bruins this season, and the first of six in Connecticut. The Bruins will once again be the Islanders’ most frequent opponent. Bridgeport was 3-8-1-0 against Providence during the 2023-24 campaign and went 2-4-0-0 in those games at home. Five of their six meetings at Total Mortgage Arena last season were separated by two goals or less.
VIEW FROM PROVIDENCE
Led by fourth-year head coach Ryan Mougenel, the Bruins opened the regular season with a 5-2 loss to the Laval Rocket last night at home. Providence raced out to an early two-goal lead with tallies from Vinni Lettieri (PPG) and Patrick Brown, but Laval stormed back, and outshot the Bruins 39-14 in the contest. Longtime NHL defenseman Jordan Oesterle had two assists in his Bruins debut and Brandon Bussi (0-1-0) made 34 saves. The Bruins racked up 93 points (42-21-6-3) and finished second in the Eastern Conference last season but lost to Hartford in four games in the Atlantic Division Semifinals.
OPENING NIGHT ROSTER
Bridgeport begins the regular season with 25 players on its active roster, featuring 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and 3 goaltenders. Sixteen players have previously dressed for the club, while the other nine have an opportunity to make their Bridgeport debuts tonight. Among those debuts could be rookie defensemen and New York Islanders’ draft picks Calle Odelius (2nd round, 2022) and Isaiah George (4th round, 2022), as well as veteran forward Pierre Engvall, who played 318 NHL games over the past five seasons. Bridgeport’s roster features 21 players on an NHL contract, five veterans (Cole Bardreau, Engvall, Hudson Fasching, Chris Terry, Fredrik Karlstrom), and six rookies (George, Alex Jefferies, Odelius, Cam Thiesing, Henrik Tikkanen, Marshall Warren).
CHRIS TERRY RETURNS TO TOWN
Veteran forward and five-time AHL All-Star Chris Terry returns to Bridgeport on an AHL contract that he signed Oct. 1st. The 34-year-old enters his 16th professional season and is coming off his 11th AHL season of at least 50 points, finishing second on the Chicago Wolves in scoring while serving as team captain. Terry recorded 139 points (57g, 82a) in 128 games during his first two seasons with Bridgeport (2021-23) and holds the franchise record for most points (78) and assists (51) in a single season, which he earned in 2022-23 (67 games). Terry enters the 2024-25 campaign tied for 17th all-time in AHL goals (311), tied for 23rd in points (741), 26th in assists (430), and 38th in games played (815).
QUICK HITS
Bridgeport went 14-16-4-2 at Total Mortgage Arena last season... Nearly half of their games overall last season were separated by a single goal (16-10-7-2 in 35 one-goal decisions), second in the AHL to Rochester... The Islanders begin the regular season with 18 straight games against Atlantic Division opponents... Bridgeport will face every Eastern Conference team except the Cleveland Monsters this season.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (0-0-1): Last: 5-4 OTL vs. Utah, Thursday -- Tonight at Dallas, 8 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (0-0-0-0): Season opener is Saturday, Oct. 19 vs. Reading, 6:05 p.m. ET