Preview: Islanders at Phantoms
Feb 11, 2023THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (19-18-7-1) have 27 games remaining in the regular season as they return from the AHL’s All-Star break with a 7:05 p.m. matchup against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (23-17-3-2) at PPL Center. The Islanders are searching for their 20th win of the season and looking to bounce back after a couple of setbacks prior to the break, including a 5-4 OT loss in Springfield last Saturday. Arnaud Durandeau scored twice and Dennis Cholowski had three assists, while Cory Schneider (13-4-3) made 34 saves to begin a three-game road trip. The Islanders went 2-for-4 on the power play and 6-for-6 on the penalty kill. Bridgeport spent the All-Star hiatus in seventh place in the Atlantic Division, just one point behind Hartford for a playoff spot.
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WATCH: AHLTV.com
GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the fifth of eight meetings between the Islanders and Phantoms this season, and the last of four matchups in Pennsylvania. Bridgeport is 2-1-0-1 in the series and 2-0-0-1 in those games at PPL Center following a 4-3 overtime win on Jan. 13th. Eleven different Islanders recorded a point that night including Aatu Raty, who scored the winner at 2:36 of OT. Raty was traded to the Vancouver Canucks along with Anthony Beauvillier and a protected first-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft for Bo Horvat on Jan. 30th. Former Phantom (now Bridgeport’s leading goal scorer) Andy Andreoff paces all players in the series with four goals and eight points in just four meetings.
VIEW FROM ALLENTOWN
The fifth-place Phantoms won their second straight game with a 5-2 victory in Hartford last night. Max Willman scored twice and Elliot Desnoyers had one goal and one assist, while Bobby Brink and Cooper Marody recorded two helpers each. Sam Ersson (14-10-1) made 33 saves in his fourth straight start, allowing two goals or fewer in three of those outings. Lehigh Valley is led in scoring by Olle Lycksell’s 34 points (9g, 25a) in 34 games, while All-Star forward Tyson Foerster has a team-best 17 goals. Six of those have come on the power play where the Phantoms rank second in the AHL at 24.3%.
PACING THE ISLANDERS
Chris Terry has seven points in his last five games (3g, 4a) and has increased his team lead in both assists (30) and points (44). He is tied for ninth among all AHL players in assists and shares 11th in scoring. Terry has now hit the 30-assist mark for the 11th time in his AHL career. Bridgeport is 9-1-1-1 when Terry has at least two points in a game this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS EXTRA SPECIAL
The Islanders were fantastic on both sides of special teams last weekend, going 2-for-8 on the power play and 11-for-12 on the kill. Bridgeport’s 2-for-4 power-play performance on Saturday was the 11th instance this season that they’ve scored at least two goals on the man advantage. The Islanders rank within the top 10 in both power play (23.1%, sixth) and penalty kill (83.1%, ninth) percentage.
HEY RUSLAN, YOU’RE AN ALL-STAR
Rookie forward Ruslan Iskhakov represented the Islanders at the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic in Laval, Quebec last weekend. The 22-year-old competed in three Skills Competition events on Sunday (AHLTV Rapid Fire, RONA Pass and Score, Upper Deck Breakaway Relay) and helped the Eastern Conference earn a 16-10 victory over the Western Conference. Iskhakov then tallied two goals during the 3-on-3 All-Star Challenge Monday night. Iskhakov was Bridgeport’s lone representative in Laval as Samuel Bolduc, who was also selected to the All-Star Classic, was recalled by New York on Sunday afternoon.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (27-23-5): Last: 6-5 L vs. Vancouver, Thursday -- Next: Today at Montreal, 12:30 p.m.
Worcester Railers (24-20-3-0): Last: 4-3 W vs. Reading, last night -- Next: Tonight vs. Reading, 7:05 p.m.