Sound Tigers Host Wolf Pack in 1 p.m. Rematch
Apr 15, 2021The Bridgeport Islanders (3-12-1-0) host the Hartford Wolf Pack (9-6-1-0) for the second time in three days, featuring a 1 p.m. rematch at Webster Bank Arena this afternoon. Today's game is the eighth of 12 meetings between the in-state rivals and the fifth of six matchups in Bridgeport. Hartford leads the series 5-1-1-0 and has won each of the last four games (points in five straight), but the Sound Tigers are 2-2-0-0 against the Wolf Pack at home and 2-1-0-0 in Thursday games this season.
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LAST TIME OUT
Bode Wilde and Tanner Fritz each scored for the second straight game and 10 different players earned at least one point for the Sound Tigers, but it wasn't enough in a 5-4 loss to the Wolf Pack at Webster Bank Arena on Tuesday. Patrick Khodorenko scored twice including the game-winner with less than five minutes remaining for Hartford, while Arnaud Durandeau added a goal and one assist for his first multi-point game in the AHL since Dec. 18, 2019. Parker Wotherspoon also scored his first goal of the season.
VIEW FROM HARTFORD
The Wolf Pack are on a six-game winning streak, which is their longest of the season and also the longest active win streak in the AHL. Head coach Kris Knoblauch's team defeated Bridgeport on Tuesday and has now outscored opponents 18-7 in its last three games (32-13 on its current winning streak). Four players are on a scoring streak of at least four games (Ty Ronning, 6; Darren Raddysh, 6, Tarmo Reunanen, 6 and Morgan Barron, 4), while Barron leads the club with nine goals and 16 points in 16 games. Hartford's power play leads the AHL at 30.0% (18-for-60).
ADAMS SIGNS WITH ISLANDERS
The New York Islanders announced Wednesday that forward Collin Adams has agreed to terms on a two-year, two-way contract beginning in 2021-22. The 22-year-old completed a four-year career at the University of North Dakota this past season, where he set career highs in goals (14), assists (20) and points (34) in 29 games. He ranked second on the Fighting Hawks in each of those categories and led all players on the team with a plus-22 rating. Adams helped North Dakota win the 2021 NCHC championship and was named to the NCHC All-Tournament Team. Adams was selected by the Islanders in the sixth round (#170 overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
APPLEBY AGREES TO TERMS
The Islanders and goaltender Ken Appleby have agreed to terms on a two-year, two-way deal beginning this season. The 25-year-old has played two games with the Sound Tigers this year, going 1-1-0 with a 2.50 goals-against-average and .896 save percentage, including a 20-save win in his Bridgeport debut on Mar. 18th against Hartford. The North Bay, Ont. native has played three NHL games with the New Jersey Devils and also has 78 career AHL appearances with the Sound Tigers, Albany Devils, Binghamton Devils and Manitoba Moose. In addition, Appleby has played 94 ECHL games with the Adirondack Thunder, Jacksonville Icemen and Florida Everblades.
GETTING WILDE
Bode Wilde scored his first professional goal on Wednesday, Apr. 7th in Hartford and followed up with his second pro tally last Tuesday. He’s one of three Sound Tigers to score in back-to-back games this season (Cole Bardreau, Tanner Fritz). Wilde, a 21-year-old rookie from Montreal, got Bridgeport on the board Tuesday with a long wrist shot from the right wing that was deflected in front and found the top left corner at 2:54 of the second period. It was his fourth point (two goals, two assists) in 14 games this season and his sixth point (two goals, four assists) in 34 pro appearances, all with Bridgeport.
EL DURANDEAU
Arnaud Durandeau jammed home his second goal of the season and added an assist on Tuesday, earning his second career multi-point game and first since Dec. 18, 2019 against Syracuse. The 22-year-old winger has three points (two goals, one assist) in seven games this season and currently ranks fourth on the Sound Tigers in points-per-game (0.43). He has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 28 AHL contests with Bridgeport over the last two seasons. Durandeau was selected by the New York Islanders in the sixth round (#165 overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft.
QUICK HITS
Kyle MacLean is on a career-best three-game point streak (one goal, two assists)... Bridgeport’s four goals on Tuesday snapped a string of five straight games with two goals or less… It was the fifth time in the last eight games that the Sound Tigers have allowed five goals or more… Tuesday’s game was the first time this season that every goal was scored at 5-on-5 strength (minimum of two goals)… Mike Cornell made his season debut on Tuesday, playing right wing with Bobo Carpenter and Erik Brown… Yanick Turcotte was loaned to the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) and Brett Neumann was loaned to the Allen Americans (ECHL) on Tuesday.
WINDING DOWN
The Sound Tigers will have just seven games left in their 2020-21 season following today’s action. Four of those contests will be against Hartford and the other three will be against the Providence Bruins (13-4-1-0). Providence leads the Atlantic Division with 27 points in 18 games, while Hartford is eight points back with two games in hand. The Sound Tigers also have two games in hand but are 20 points behind the Bruins.