Preview: Islanders at Americans
Oct 13, 2023THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders open their 23rd regular season with a pair of road games in Upstate New York this weekend, beginning at 7:05 p.m. tonight against the Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres) at Blue Cross Arena. The Islanders will travel to Syracuse on Saturday. Each of their first three games will take place away from Total Mortgage Arena. It’s the seventh straight year that Bridgeport will start on the road and the third straight year that begins with at least three consecutive road games.
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GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s tilt is the first of two meetings between the Islanders and Americans this season, and the only matchup in Rochester. Bridgeport will host the Amerks on Apr. 7th. The Islanders went 1-0-1-0 against the Americans last season and both games went to overtime, including the Isles’ 1-0 win at home on Jan. 20, 2023. William Dufour had the game-winning goal that night. Rochester secured an OT victory in a wild, 6-5 final at Blue Cross Arena on Nov. 25, 2022.
VIEW FROM ROCHESTER
The Americans climbed all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season after finishing third in the North Division with 81 points. Rochester defeated Syracuse and Toronto in the 2023 playoffs before falling to the eventual Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears in six games. The Amerks’ roster features many key returners including its scoring leaders from last season. Jiri Kulich had a team-best 24 goals last season, while Lukas Rousek recorded 56 points. Rochester is led by head coach Seth Appert, who returns for his fourth season in that capacity.
KOWALSKY TAKES CHARGE
Simcoe, Ontario native Rick Kowalsky makes his debut as Bridgeport Islanders head coach tonight. The 51-year-old spent each of last two seasons as assistant coach with the club, and was hired on July 13th to succeed Brent Thompson, who was hired by the Anaheim Ducks. Kowalsky was head coach of the New Jersey Devils’ AHL affiliates for eight seasons, guiding the Albany Devils from 2010-17 and the Binghamton Devils in 2017-18. He won the Louis AR Pieri Award as AHL Coach of the Year in 2016.
FRITZ RETURNS
The Islanders’ season-opening roster includes five veteran players including the return of forward Tanner Fritz, who signed an AHL deal on Sept. 5th. Fritz played 198 games with Bridgeport over parts of six seasons (2015-21), posting 135 points (46g, 89a) and being selected to the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic. He is tied for sixth on the team’s all-time assists list and ranks 12th in scoring. Fritz spent each of the last two seasons with Hartford and led the Wolf Pack with a career-high 33 assists in 2022-23.
GETTING YOUNGER
The average age of Bridgeport’s roster is 25.5 years old, the youngest opening-night roster for the club in more than half a decade. The roster features four AHL rookies: Aidan Fulp, Eetu Liukas, Matt Maggio and Travis Mitchell. Maggio, the youngest player on the team (20 years old), is the reigning OHL Player of the Year, recording 54 goals and 111 points in 66 games as the Windsor Spitfires captain last year.
QUICK HITS
Jakub Skarek, fresh off a new two-year, two-way contract with the New York Islanders, returns for his fifth season... He ranks fifth on Bridgeport’s all-time games played list for goalies (103) and joins Ken Appleby as the two goaltenders on the opening-night roster... Five players could make their Bridgeport debuts tonight: forwards Sam Asselin, Jackson Cates, Eetu Liukas, Karson Kuhlman and Brian Pinho.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (0-0-0): Next: Tomorrow vs. BUF, 7:30 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (0-0-0-0): Next: Saturday, Oct. 21 vs. ADK, 7:05 p.m. ET