Preview: Islanders at Wolf Pack
Dec 23, 2022THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (14-8-5-0) play their final game before a brief holiday break, visiting the XL Center for the first time this season to face the Hartford Wolf Pack (9-12-1-4) at 5 p.m. tonight. The Islanders are just 1-5-1-0 in their last seven games and are looking to snap a three-game slide (0-2-1-0) as they end a three-game road trip. Last time out, Bridgeport scored three times in the second period but suffered a 4-3 loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday. Andy Andreoff, Kyle MacLean and William Dufour all lit the lamp, while Jakub Skarek (4-5-3) made 27 saves. The Islanders have not lost three straight games on the road this season, which they are hoping to avoid tonight.
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GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the fourth of 12 meetings between the Islanders and Wolf Pack this season, and the first of six at XL Center. Bridgeport is averaging 5.33 goals per game against Hartford this season and has won each of the first three matchups by a combined 16-8 score. Otto Koivula (2g, 1a) and Arnaud Durandeau (3a) each recorded three points in a 6-3 victory in their last meeting on Nov. 23rd. Durandeau leads all players in the series with six points (2g, 4a) in three games.
VIEW FROM HARTFORD
The Wolf Pack have dropped back-to-back games and remain in the cellar of the Atlantic Division with 23 points in 26 games. Last night, Ty Emberson scored Hartford’s third shorthanded goal of the season and Gustav Rydahl also found the back of the net, but the Wolf Pack allowed three goals in the second period and lost to Springfield, 4-2. Louis Domingue (7-6-3) made 20 saves. The Wolf Pack power play went 0-for-2 and is now 0-for-15 in its last six games, falling to last in the AHL at 12.8%.
BITING BACK AT THE PACK
Ruslan Iskhakov, who played two seasons of college hockey at UConn (which shares the XL Center with the Wolf Pack), leads all players in the series with five assists. He posted two assists in a 5-2 win on Oct. 23rd and added three more on Nov. 5th. Iskhakov is tied for fourth among all AHL rookies in scoring (20 points). Iskhakov has points in six of his last eight games.
DU-SCORE
William Dufour has four points (2g, 2a) in his last four games including two multi-point performances. He scored his 10th goal of the season on Saturday in Syracuse, which is tied for fourth among all AHL rookies and ranks second on the Islanders behind Andy Andreoff (14). Dufour also ranks second on the team in power-play goals (5) and is tied for second among AHL rookies in that category. Last season, Dufour scored a career-high 56 goals in 66 games with the Saint John Sea Dogs, which led the entire QMJHL.
RETURN FROM THE RAILERS
Forward Blade Jenkins and goalie Ken Appleby were reassigned from the Worcester Railers (ECHL) to Bridgeport this past week, while Cory Schneider was recalled by the New York Islanders on emergency last Sunday. Appleby went 9-3-1 with a 3.25 GAA and .896 save percentage in 14 appearances with Worcester this season. Jenkins has played three games with Bridgeport this season and 19 contests with Worcester, recording eight goals and 21 points. Four of his seven AHL goals in 2021-22 came against the Wolf Pack. Schneider remains tied for third in the AHL in wins (10), eighth in save percentage (.921) and 13th in GAA (2.51).