The Bridgeport Report: Week 12
Apr 26, 2021The Bridgeport Islanders (6-13-1-0), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, pushed their winning streak to a season-best three games with a 4-3 victory against the Hartford Wolf Pack at the XL Center on Saturday.
Ken Appleby (3-2-0) made 30 saves and the Sound Tigers scored four times for the third straight contest, while Blade Jenkins and Bobo Carpenter each recorded one goal and one assist. Cole Coskey and Tom Kuhnhackl also scored to help secure Bridgeport’s longest winning streak since the club won four in a row from Nov. 23, 2019 - Nov. 29, 2019.
Ten of the Sound Tigers’ skaters earned at least one point on Saturday, including Kyle MacLean (one assist) and Cole Bardreau (one assist), who each extended a personal scoring streak to at least four games. MacLean’s six-game point streak is the longest of his career and the longest for any Sound Tigers’ player this season.
Bridgeport remains third in the Atlantic Division, 10 points behind the Wolf Pack (11-8-1-0) with four games left in the abbreviated season. The Sound Tigers return to action on Tuesday to face Hartford at Webster Bank Arena before traveling north to Marlborough, Mass. for a Thursday afternoon affair against the Providence Bruins (14-6-1-0). Puck drop is 1 p.m. for every game this season and fans can follow all of the live action via AHLTV or the Sound Tigers Radio Network, beginning with the pre-game show at 12:45 p.m.
The Week Ahead
Tuesday, Apr. 27 vs. Hartford Wolf Pack (1 p.m.): The Sound Tigers host Hartford for the sixth and final time this season, which also marks the 11th of 12 meetings between the in-state rivals. Bridgeport is 4-6-0-0 in the season series, but has won back-to-back games by a combined 8-3 margin. Cole Bardreau (six goals, two assists) and Samuel Bolduc (four goals, four assists) lead the Sound Tigers against the New York Rangers’ affiliate with eight points in eight matchups.
Thursday, Apr. 29 at Providence Bruins (1 p.m.): The Sound Tigers make their final trip to the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass. to face the Bruins for the 11th time this season. Bridgeport is 2-7-1-0 against Providence so far, but recorded a 4-1 victory in their last head-to-head matchup on Tuesday, Apr. 20th at Webster Bank Arena. Bolduc scored twice that afternoon and Jakub Skarek made 23 saves.
Tiger Bites
Just Getting Started: 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 on 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. He had 143 points (59 goals, 84 assists) in 182 career OHL games with the Saginaw Spirit from 2017-20.
Streak Hits Six: 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 this week’s action.
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 on 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 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.
Off on the Right Foot: The Sound Tigers have scored first in four straight games dating back to Apr. 15th. Blade Jenkins has opened the scoring twice during that span, while Jeff Kubiak and Arnaud Durandeau have the other two. Bridgeport is 3-4-1-0 when scoring first this season, but 3-1-0-0 when leading after 20 minutes and the Sound Tigers have outscored their opponents 4-0 in first periods over their last three games.
Quick Hits: Ken Appleby is the first Sound Tigers goaltender to earn back-to-back wins this season… He has started five games this year and three of the last four… 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)… Saturday’s game was the first time the Sound Tigers have won when allowing a power-play goal this season (Hartford went 1-for-6)… Tom Kuhnhackl has registered a plus-one rating in four straight games and now leads the team with a plus-five rating on the year.
Team Leaders
Goals: Cole Bardreau (8)
Assists: Jeff Kubiak (7)
Points: Cole Bardreau, Samuel Bolduc (12)
Plus/Minus: Tom Kuhnhackl (+5)
Penalty Minutes: Seth Helgeson (34)
Shots: Samuel Bolduc (45)
Games Played: Six Tied (20)
Across the Sound: The New York Islanders (29-14-5, 63 pts) defeated the New York Rangers, 6-1 last week, but also suffered a pair of setbacks to the Washington Capitals and fell to third place in the NHL’s East Division. They currently sit three points behind Washington and four points behind the first-place Pittsburgh Penguins with one game in hand. In their last outing on Saturday, former Sound Tigers Anthony Beauvillier and Adam Pelech each scored to keep the game close, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also recorded his 14th goal of the season, but Washington notched a 6-3 win at Nassau Coliseum. The two teams will meet against on Tuesday in D.C. The Isles have eight games left in the regular season, including two straight against the Rangers beginning Thursday at Madison Square Garden.