Preview: Islanders vs. Bruins
Nov 30, 2022THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (11-3-4-0) have won three straight home games and are unbeaten in regulation in their last five overall (4-0-1-0) entering tonight’s 7 p.m. matchup against the Providence Bruins (12-2-3-2) at Total Mortgage Arena. Last Sunday, the Islanders scored four times in the second period and Andy Andreoff broke a 4-4 tie late in the third with his league-leading seventh power-play goal in a 6-4 win against the Springfield Thunderbirds at home. Cole Bardreau had two goals and 13 different skaters earned at least one point for Bridgeport. Cory Schneider (8-1-1) made 30 saves for his third straight win.
LISTEN LIVE: https://bit.ly/BridgeportIslanders
WATCH: AHLTV.com
GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the fifth of 12 meetings between the Islanders and Bruins this season, and the second of six matchups in Connecticut. Bridgeport is 2-2-0-0 against Providence, but the Bruins have points in all four matchups (2-0-2-0) with both Islanders’ victories coming in overtime. Aatu Raty scored the OT winner in a 3-2 final at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Nov. 20th, while Connor Carrick had the only tally in a 1-0 Bruins’ win at Total Mortgage Arena on Nov. 6th. William Dufour (3g) and Samuel Bolduc (1g, 2a) each have three points in four games against Providence this season.
VIEW FROM PROVIDENCE
Head coach Ryan Mougenel’s team leads the league with 29 points at the quarter mark of the season. The Bruins have points in five straight games (2-0-2-1) and are the only AHL team without a regulation loss on the road (7-0-1-0). Last weekend, Providence completed a two-game sweep of the Syracuse Crunch including a 6-5 overtime win on the road Saturday. Chris Wagner scored the game-winner at 1:13 of OT, while Luke Toporowski recorded his first professional hat trick. Toporowski leads all AHL rookies in goals (9) and has scored in back-to-back games.
CENTURY MARK
Samuel Bolduc is expected to play his 100th professional game tonight (all with Bridgeport). The 2019 second-round draft pick is on a five-game point streak (1g, 5a) and leads all Islanders’ players with 18 points (3g, 15a) this season. He’s second among all AHL defensemen in scoring and tied for second in assists (15). Bolduc has already set new career highs in points and assists. The 2021 Atlantic Division All-Star has 11 goals and 28 assists in 99 career games.
SOLID SECOND PERIODS
The Islanders matched a season high with four goals scored in the second period on Sunday. The team has now scored 26 times in the middle frame and leads the AHL with a +12 differential in second periods.
MR. 700
Chris Terry played his 700th regular-season game in the AHL on Sunday. The 32-year-old winger had one assist to extend his scoring streak to three games (1g, 5a). Bridgeport’s goals and points leader from 2021-22 is tied for fourth on the team in scoring this season, and shares second in assists. He sits 37th on the AHL’s all-time scoring list with 627 points (266g, 361a) in 700 games.
QUICK HITS
Erik Brown is on a five-game point streak (2g, 3a)... Four of Bridgeport’s next five games will take place at home (including tonight), where the team is 7-2-0-0 this season... However, the Islanders also have points in eight straight games on the road (4-0-4-0)... Paul Thompson’s goal 31 seconds into the middle frame on Sunday was Bridgeport’s fastest goal to start a period this season... Today is Thompson’s 34th birthday.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (15-9-0): Last: 3-1 L at Philadelphia, last night -- Next: Friday vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (14-2-1-0): Last: 4-3 OTW at Norfolk, Saturday -- Next: Friday at Newfoundland, 5:30 p.m. ET