Sound Tigers Search For Fourth Straight Win Today
Apr 27, 2021The Bridgeport Sound Tigers host their in-state rival for the final time this season when the Hartford Wolf Pack visit Webster Bank Arena at 1 p.m. Today's game is the 11th of 12 meetings between the two clubs and the fifth matchup in a 15-day span. On Saturday, the Sound Tigers (6-13-1-0) beat Hartford (11-8-1-0) 4-3 on the road to push their winning streak to a season-best three games. Ken Appleby (3-2-0) made 30 saves and Bridgeport scored four times for the third straight contest. Blade Jenkins and Bobo Carpenter each scored once and added an assist, while Cole Coskey and Tom Kuhnhackl also had a goal.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
The Sound Tigers have won back-to-back games against Hartford for the second time this year, outscoring the Wolf Pack 8-3 in their last two meetings. Hartford won five straight matchups prior to that and currently leads the series 6-3-1-0. Cole Bardreau (six goals, two assists) and Samuel Bolduc (four goals, four assists) pace the Sound Tigers against the New York Rangers’ affiliate with eight points in eight games.
VIEW FROM HARTFORD
The Wolf Pack have won eight of their last 10 games, with both losses during that span coming against the Sound Tigers. Hartford responded from its 4-0 setback to Bridgeport on Apr. 17th with a 3-1 victory against the Providence Bruins last Thursday, in which Morgan Barron scored his team-leading 10th goal of the season (power play) and Ty Ronning and Jonny Brodzinski also found the back of the net. Barron is tied for second in the AHL with six power-play goals this year and is also tied for third among all AHL rookies with 10 goals. Adam Huska ranks ninth in the AHL with a 2.39 goals-against-average in 10 outings.
GOING STREAKING
Kyle MacLean set up Bobo Carpenter for the game-winning goal in the final three minutes of Saturday’s game in Hartford, extending his career-best scoring streak to six games (one goal, five assists). It is also the longest streak for any Bridgeport player this season. In addition, MacLean, a 21-year-old rookie, has one helper in each of his last five games, the longest assist streak for the team this year. Cole Bardreau is also on a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists) entering today's action.
JENKINS HEATING UP
Rookie forward Blade Jenkins has scored in two of his last four games, including his first professional goal on Apr. 15th against Hartford. He also lit the lamp against the Wolf Pack last Saturday and added his first pro assist to solidify his first career multi-point performance. Each of Jenkins’ two goals have opened the scoring in their respective games. The 20-year-old winger from Jackson, Mich. was drafted by the Islanders in the fifth round (#134 overall) in 2018.
BOBO BREAKING THROUGH
Bobo Carpenter has scored in two of his last three games, including his first professional game-winner at 17:06 of the third period last Saturday. He added an assist on Blade Jenkins’ first-period goal for his first multi-point game of the season and the third of his AHL career. Carpenter has four points (two goals, two assists) in his last four contests after going quiet in his previous eight. The second-year forward has 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) and a plus-one rating in 45 pro games, all with the Sound Tigers.
STARTING STRONG
Bridgeport has scored first in four straight games dating back to Thursday, Apr. 15th. Blade Jenkins has opened the scoring twice during that span, while Jeff Kubiak and Arnaud Durandeau have the other two. The Sound Tigers are 3-4-1-0 when scoring first this season, but 3-1-0-0 when leading after 20 minutes and Bridgeport has outscored its opponents 4-0 in first periods in its last three games.
QUICK HITS
Simon Holmstrom set up Cole Coskey’s power-play goal just 1:00 into the second period on Saturday and is now tied for the team lead with four power-play points (one goal, three assists)... Coskey is tied for the team lead with two power-play goals (Dmytro Timashov, Cole Bardreau, Bobo Carpenter)... Ken Appleby is the first Sound Tigers goaltender to earn back-to-back wins this season... He has started five games for Bridgeport and three of the last four.