Sound Tigers Return Home To Host Providence
Mar 10, 2021The Bridgeport Islanders (2-5-0-0) take on the Providence Bruins (7-2-1-0) in their fourth straight game today, featuring a 1 p.m. puck drop at Webster Bank Arena. Bridgeport hasn't played in almost a week, falling to the Bruins on the road last Thursday, 4-1. Dmytro Timashov scored his second goal of the season to break up Jeremy Swayman’s shutout bid in the final minutes of regulation, while Oskar Steen had two goals for Providence. The Bruins lead the season series 4-1-0-0. Today's matchup is the sixth of 12 meetings between the two rivals and the third of six inside Webster Bank Arena.
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VIEW FROM PROVIDENCE
Head coach Jay Leach's club is on a four-game point streak (3-0-1-0) following a 3-2 overtime loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack on Monday. Cameron Hughes (shorthanded) and Robert Lantosi (power play) each found the back of the net on special teams, but Jonny Brodzinski had three points (two goals, one assist) and Morgan Barron ended the game at 3:22 of overtime for Hartford. Dan Vladar made 21 saves on 24 shots in his fifth appearance of the season. Vladar enters today's game ranked 10th among AHL goalies with a 2.01 goals-against-average, while teammate Jeremy Swayman is fifth with a 1.80 goals-against-average. Swayman, who will likely play today, is also tied for fourth with five wins.
KILLING ME SOFTLY
Bridgeport’s penalty kill was 5-for-5 in last week’s game against the Bruins and is now 19 for its last 19, dating back to the third period on Saturday, Feb. 13th. The Sound Tigers’ kill has improved from 26th in the AHL to 13th (81.8%) over the last four games and has also scored three times shorthanded - tied for the league lead with Chicago.
TIMASHOV'S TURN
Dmytro Timashov has two goals and three points in his last four games. He is one of four Sound Tigers with a power-play goal this season and one of five Sound Tigers with two goals overall, tied with Samuel Bolduc, Simon Holmstrom, Cole Bardreau and Bobo Carpenter for the team lead. Timashov began the season with the New York Islanders and made his Isles debut on January 31 at Philadelphia. He has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 45 NHL games between the Islanders, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, as well as 110 points (40 goals, 70 assists) in 207 AHL games between the Sound Tigers and Toronto Marlies.
WHAT'S THE "MOTTER"
C.J. Motte has started each of the last two games in net after Jakub Skarek was recalled to the New York Islanders’ Taxi Squad on Thursday, Feb. 25th. Motte, a well-traveled goaltender in his second stint with the Sound Tigers, is 1-1-0-0 with a 3.00 goals-against-average and .902 save percentage in the AHL this season. He made 23 saves in a 3-2 win against Providence on Feb. 25th and also stopped 23 of 26 shots in 40 minutes of work last Thursday. Rookie netminder Francis Marotte took over in the third period and made seven saves on eight shots in his professional debut (19:50).
QUICK HITS
Simon Holmstrom (two goals, one assist) and Tanner Fritz (one goal, two assists) also have three points in their last four games… Fritz has 132 points in his Sound Tigers/AHL career, which is ninth on the team’s all-time scoring list, four points behind Trent Hunter (2001-03)… Samuel Bolduc led the Sound Tigers with five shots-on-goal last Thursday and now leads the club with 16 this season… The Sound Tigers are one of just five teams that have not gone to overtime this season... Today is Bridgeport's third game in 19 days.
ACROSS THE SOUND
Today's game is the American Hockey League version of the New York Islanders versus Boston Bruins - two teams that met just last night at Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders (16-6-4, 1st place) earned a 2-1 shootout win and improved to 4-0-0 against the Bruins this season. Former Sound Tiger Brock Nelson scored a power-play goal in regulation and Anthony Beauvillier delivered the game-deciding goal in the third round of the shootout to help the Isles win their sixth straight game (nine-game point streak, 8-0-1).