The Bridgeport Report: Week 26
Apr 12, 2022The Bridgeport Islanders (29-28-7-4, .507) won two of their three games last weekend to stay near the cutoff and keep pace in the Atlantic Division’s ultra-tight playoff fight. The race to make the postseason, which has turned into an all-out sprint, features just four more regular-season games for Bridgeport, fewest of any team in the American Hockey League. The seventh-place Islanders are on the outside looking in by just .008 percentage points.
Click here for today’s AHL Playoff Primer.
Bridgeport’s hottest player lately has been leading scorer Chris Terry. The veteran forward, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Thursday, scored three times and had four points over the weekend, including two goals on Friday in a 3-2 victory against the Providence Bruins at Total Mortgage Arena. Terry’s second goal broke a 2-2 tie with just 24.7 seconds left in regulation, capping a come-from-behind win. Otto Koivula added one goal and Simon Holmstrom recorded two assists, while Cory Schneider (12-10-4) made 27 saves. Bridgeport went 2-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The Bruins got revenge on Saturday with a 6-2 win in the rematch at Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Rhode Island. Terry and Felix Bibeau both scored for the Islanders, while Jakub Skarek (16-14-4) turned aside 29 shots. Terry’s power-play tally just 4:08 into the contest extended his goal-scoring streak to six games, second-longest in the AHL this season. Bridgeport ended its 12-game season series with the Bruins at 6-4-0-2.
Back in Bridgeport on Sunday, Kyle MacLean’s spectacular effort on a shorthanded goal in the final two minutes proved to be the difference in a 4-2 win against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Total Mortgage Arena. Schneider remained solid with 42 saves, two shy of his AHL career high, while Andy Andreoff, Austin Czarnik and Simon Holmstrom also scored a goal.
Bridgeport went 2-1-0-0 during its seventh and final three-in-three series of the season and improved to 3-1-1-0 against Lehigh Valley.
The Islanders and Phantoms (26-30-7-4, .470) meet again on Friday night in Allentown, Penn., as Bridgeport heads out on the road for the last time during the regular season. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at the PPL Center. On Saturday, the Islanders conclude their six-game season series against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (31-28-4-4, .522) in their 2021-22 road finale. Game time is 6:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Both games can be heard online via the Bridgeport Islanders Radio Network and seen on AHLTV, beginning with the pre-game show 15 minutes prior to each start time.
The Week Ahead
Friday, Apr. 15 at Lehigh Valley Phantoms (7:05 p.m.) – The Islanders face the Philadelphia Flyers’ affiliate for the final time this season on Friday. It’s their third meeting in a span of 13 days this month. Bridgeport is 3-1-1-0 against Lehigh Valley this season and 1-0-1-0 in those games in Allentown. The Islanders' last visit to the PPL Center resulted in a 2-1 overtime loss on New Year’s Day.
Saturday, Apr. 16 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (6:05 p.m.) – The Islanders’ final road game during the 2021-22 regular season takes them to Wilkes-Barre, Penn. this Saturday night. It’s the sixth and final meeting between the Isles and Penguins this season, and the third of three in Pennsylvania. Bridgeport is 2-3-0-0 against Pittsburgh’s affiliate this season, but 0-2-0-0 on the road.
Ice Chips
Road Rage: The Islanders look to snap a two-game slide away from Total Mortgage Arena this weekend as they play their 35th and 36th road games of the season. Bridgeport’s road record is 12-15-5-2, but the club has won five of its last eight on the road dating back to Mar. 12th (5-2-1-0). Chris Terry has scored a goal in three straight games away from the Park City, tied for the longest active streak in the AHL.
Seven Up: Speaking of Chris Terry, the five-time All-Star enters the weekend on a seven-game point streak (seven goals, two assists). It is one game shy of Bridgeport’s longest point streak of the season (Andy Andreoff, Feb. 15th - Mar. 5th). Terry, who turned 33 on Thursday, continues to lead Bridgeport in many offensive categories: goals (28), points (55), power-play goals (9), power-play points (20), multi-point games (14), shots on goal (194), and game-winning goals (5). The Islanders are 11-1-1-1 when Terry records at least two points in a game this season.
Salo’s Helping Hand: Robin Salo, the New York Islanders’ 46th overall draft choice in 2017, recorded an assist in all three games last weekend. His three-game point streak matches his longest in the AHL (Nov. 7th - Nov. 12th). Salo is second among Bridgeport defenseman with 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) despite playing just 38 games.
Schneider Keeps Rolling: Cory Schneider is 5-0-2 in his last seven starts with a 1.84 GAA and .951 save percentage during that span. He has faced 30 or more shots in each of those games and at least 40 shots in four of them. Schneider is fifth among all AHL goaltenders with a .922 save percentage in 27 appearances this season. He is 17th with a 2.68 GAA.
Quick Hits: Austin Czarnik has 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 14 games since he was reclaimed off waivers from the Seattle Kraken… Simon Holmstrom had three points (one goal, two assists) in three games last weekend… The Islanders are 9-1-0-0 when Holmstrom scores a goal this season… Chris Terry’s 28 goals are the most for any Bridgeport player in a single season since Nino Niederreiter had that many in 2012-13… Seth Helgeson played his 300th game with Bridgeport on Saturday (fourth on the team’s all-time list)… Arnaud Durandeau’s next game will be his 100th in the AHL… Andy Andreoff’s goal on Sunday was his 100th pro goal.
Team Leaders
Goals: Chris Terry (28)
Assists: Otto Koivula (32)
Points: Chris Terry (55)
Plus/Minus: Thomas Hickey-X (+14)
Penalty Minutes: Parker Wotherspoon (125)
Shots: Chris Terry (194)
Power-Play Goals: Chris Terry (9)
Shorthanded Goals: Cole Bardreau (3)
Games Played: Seth Helgeson (65)
Wins: Jakub Skarek (16)
Across the Sound: The New York Islanders (32-29-9) begin a home-and-home series against the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at 7:30 p.m. inside UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. The Islanders, who suffered a 6-1 setback to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, will wrap up the regular season with 11 games in 18 days. They face Pittsburgh again on Thursday, Montreal on Friday, and Toronto on Sunday. Former Bridgeport defenseman Grant Hutton scored his first NHL goal in St. Louis on Saturday, playing in his 13th NHL game and eighth in a row. It was also his first NHL point.