The Bridgeport Report: Week 4
Nov 10, 2022By Dalton Rice | Bridgeport Islanders
The Bridgeport Islanders (7-2-1-0), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, won two of three games during their recent homestand and remain second in the Atlantic Division with 15 points in 10 games. The Islanders defeated the Charlotte Checkers in a shootout on Tuesday, Nov. 1st, then split back-to-back games against the Hartford Wolf Pack and Providence Bruins last weekend.
Ruslan Iskhakov, coming off AHL Rookie of the Month honors, added three points, pushing his total to 14 (four goals, 10 assists) over his first 10 AHL appearances. Iskhakov leads all league rookies as well as all Islanders in points. He is tied for first among all AHL players.
The Islanders began November with a 4-3 shootout victory against Charlotte, scoring twice on the power play and getting 32 saves from Cory Schneider (5-1-0) on Nov. 1st. William Dufour ended the contest with a goal on his first professional shootout attempt and Brent Thompson earned his 300th win as an AHL head coach on, becoming just the 22nd individual to reach that mark and the fourth active head coach.
Saturday’s contest marked the second time the Islanders hosted to the New York Rangers’ affiliate in a 13-day span. Bridgeport earned a 5-3 win against the Wolf Pack to remain perfect in the series (2-0-0-0). Plenty of Islanders found their names on the scoresheet, led by multi-point efforts from Arnaud Durandeau (two goals, one assist), Iskhakov (three assists), and Samuel Bolduc (one goal, one assist). Bridgeport also went 2-for-4 on the power play, building on a percentage (30.8%) that’s second-best in the AHL. Jakub Skarek (2-1-1) had 29 saves.
On Sunday, Bridgeport hosted Providence, a tightly-contest game that resulted in a 1-0 loss. Neither team found the back of the net through 52 minutes until Boston’s affiliate struck on its fourth power play of the evening with less than eight minutes left. Cory Schneider made 22 saves in his first loss of the season.
The Islanders return to action this weekend with two road games against the Hershey Bears (5-2-2-0). Puck drops are scheduled for 7 p.m. on both nights from the Giant Center.
The Week Ahead
Friday, Nov. 11th at Hershey (7 p.m.): Bridgeport faces the Washington Capitals’ affiliate in the first of six meetings this season. The Islanders went 1-2-3-0 against Hershey in 2021-22 and 0-2-1-0 in those games at Giant Center. Their last visit resulted in a 2-1 overtime loss on Jan. 29, 2022, in which Thomas Hickey scored the Isles’ lone goal.
Saturday, Nov. 12 at Hershey (7 p.m.): The Islanders rematch the Bears on Saturday night for the second of three matchups at Giant Center in Hershey. The Islanders are 3-1-1-0 on the road this season.
Ice Chips
Goals Galore: Bridgeport leads all AHL teams with 40 goals scored, powered by Andy Andreoff who has found the back of the net six times. Andreoff had scored in five straight games prior to Sunday. Five of his six goals this season have come on the power play, which is tied with Vinni Letteri (Providence) for the league lead. The Islanders' 12 power-play goals as a club share second in the AHL.
Rookie of the Month Remains Hot: Ruslan Iskhakov was named AHL Rookie of the Month for October, recording 11 points (4g, 7a) in eight games. He added to his total last week with a career-high three assists in Bridgeport’s 5-3 win against Hartford. Iskhakov now shares the league lead in scoring and paces all AHL rookies with 14 points. He is tied for third in the AHL in assists (10) and leads all rookies in that category. He has multiple points in five of his last seven games.
Among the Leaders: Aside from Andreoff and Iskhakov, two other Islanders are currently among the AHL’s best… Samuel Bolduc is second among all AHL defensemen with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists)… He leads all defensemen in power-play points (8) and shares first among defensemen in assists… Cory Schneider is tied for second in the AHL in wins (5) and ranks 15th in goals-against-average (2.46).
Quick Hits: Andy Andreoff has eight points (3g, 5a) in his last three road games and points in all three, tied for the second-longest current streak in the AHL… Kyle MacLean played his 100th professional game (all with Bridgeport) on Sunday against Providence… Bridgeport owns the third-best points percentage in the Eastern Conference (.700) through 10 games… Bridgeport’s 16 second-period goals co-lead the AHL.
Across the Sound
The New York Islanders (9-5-0) rank second in the Metropolitan Division after two dramatic come-from-behind victories against the Calgary Flames and New York Rangers on consecutive days. The Islanders trailed both games, this past Monday and Tuesday, by a 3-1 score after the second period, but stormed back to win them both, 4-3. The Islanders are 4-1-0 this month. Brock Nelson (six goals, nine assists), Mathew Barzal (15 assists), and Anders Lee (eight goals, six assists) are still pacing the team in points, with all three at a point-per-game pace or better.