Preview: Islanders vs. Phantoms
Apr 12, 2023THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (32-29-7-1) begin their final week of the season tonight with a 7 p.m. matchup against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (37-26-3-3) at Total Mortgage Arena. Bridgeport also continues a three-game homestand. Last time out, Andy Andreoff scored his team-leading 34th goal of the season and William Dufour tallied his 21st of the year, but the Islanders suffered an 8-2 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday. Cory Schneider made 18 saves on 23 shots in 34:50 before Jakub Skarek took over in the second period and stopped eight of 11 shots in 25:10.
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GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the eighth and final meeting between the Islanders and Phantoms this season, and the fourth of four matchups in Connecticut. Lehigh Valley has won each of the last three meetings by an 10-5 differential. Bridgeport is 2-4-0-1 in the series and 0-3-0-0 in those games at home, including a 3-2 loss 10 days ago. Andy Andreoff (4g, 5a) and Lehigh Valley’s Tyson Foerster (3g, 6a) lead all players in the season series with nine points in seven games.
VIEW FROM ALLENTOWN
The Phantoms have won three straight games and six of their last seven, clinching a playoff berth and jumping into a tie for fourth place in the Atlantic Division standings. They are dead even with Springfield and just two points back of the third-place Charlotte Checkers, with one game in hand. The Phantoms defeated Springfield at home on Saturday, 4-3, when Emil Andrae and Olle Lycksell each scored once and added an assist, and Adam Brooks logged a game-high three points (3a). Samuel Ersson posted 33 saves for his 24th win of the season, sixth most in the AHL. The Phantoms are led offensively by Tyson Foerster with 46 points (20g, 26a) in 63 games. He has points in each of his last seven AHL games with two goals and six assists over that span. Lycksell is on a three-game goal streak.
SCORING STREAKS
Arnaud Durandeau has at least one point in every game this month, extending his career-high point streak to five games with an assist on Saturday. Durandeau has recorded seven helpers over that span and has 13 points (4g, 9a) in his last 10 games. William Dufour also enters tonight’s contest on a three-game point streak, with one goal and three assists over that span. Dufour’s 21 goals in 66 games rank 12th among all AHL rookies this season.
MAGGIO JOINS BRIDGEPORT
Twenty-year-old forward Matthew Maggio signed an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with Bridgeport on Monday and could make his professional debut tonight. Maggio led all players in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with a career-high 54 goals and 111 points in 66 games with the Windsor Spitfires this season, while serving as team captain. He also earned a career-best 57 assists and +41 rating during his third season with Windsor. The 5’11, 185-pound winger became the Spitfires’ first 50-goal scorer in the last 20 years. Five of those goals came in a single contest on Dec. 15th. Maggio was selected by the New York Islanders in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
QUICK HITS
Aside from Maggio, forward Jake Pivonka and defensemen Aidan Fulp, Christian Krygier and Travis Mitchell remain with the Islanders on ATOs... Fulp and Krygier could make their professional debuts tonight... With an assist on Saturday, Chris Terry passed Murray Eaves (1982-95) for sole possession of 28th place on the AHL’s all-time scoring list (681 points).
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (41-31-9): Last: 5-2 L at Washington, Monday -- Next: Tonight vs. Montreal, 7 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (34-32-4-0): Last: 6-2 W vs. Adirondack, Saturday -- Next: Saturday at Adirondack, 7 p.m. ET