The Bridgeport Report: Week 19
Mar 1, 2023William Dufour paced the Bridgeport Islanders (23-21-7-1) with three goals and had five points in three games last week as the New York Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate went 1-2-0-0. The first-year forward continued his hot streak and moved into a tie for ninth place among all AHL rookies in scoring.
The Islanders fell to seventh place in the Atlantic Division but are only one point behind the Hartford Wolf Pack with 20 games remaining. Seventeen of those contests will be against division rivals.
Bridgeport started a season-long, six-game homestand with its fourth consecutive win last Thursday, skating to a 5-1 victory against the Belleville Senators. Dufour scored twice for the second time this season and the Islanders also received tallies from Reece Newkirk, his first career AHL goal, Grant Hutton, and Ruslan Iskhakov. The Islanders went 1-for-2 on the power play and killed 5-of-6 penalties. Cory Schneider (15-5-3) nearly registered his second shutout of the season, recording 32 saves on 33 shots.
A four-game winning streak ended on Saturday with a 5-2 loss to the Charlotte Checkers. Both Islanders’ goals came on the power play, as Chris Terry and Andy Andreoff cashed in to go 2-for-4 on the man advantage. Jakub Skarek (8-12-3) made 38 saves on 42 shots, with the Florida Panthers’ affiliate adding an empty-net goal to seal the game.
Bridgeport ended the weekend with a 4-3 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday night. The Islanders led 3-0 midway through the second period following red lights from Cole Bardreau, Dufour and Iskhakov, who scored a highlight-reel goal on a penalty shot that landed on SportsCenter’s Top-10 Plays. Schneider made 37 saves in his 10th appearance seeing at least 35 shots. The Islanders netted a power-play goal for the third consecutive game and shut down the Phantoms on all four of their man advantages.
Bridgeport resumes its homestand this week with three more games in four days at Total Mortgage Arena. The Islanders will host division rivals Providence, Hartford, and Springfield. All games can be seen via AHLTV.com or heard on the Bridgeport Islanders Radio Network. Tickets for all games can be purchased here.
The Week Ahead
Thursday, Mar. 2 vs. Providence Bruins (7 p.m.): The Islanders square off against Boston’s affiliate for the 10th time this season, looking to improve their 4-5-0-0 record in the series. It also marks the sixth and final matchup at Total Mortgage Arena this season. Thursday is the second of two "Dollar Days”, featuring $1 beers and $1 Hummel-brand hot dogs courtesy of Evolution Gaming. Each deal will be available throughout the concourse beginning when doors open at 6 p.m. and running through the conclusion of the second intermission. 16 oz. cans available for just $1 include Coors Light, Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra, Corona, and Heineken.
Saturday, Mar. 4 vs. Hartford Wolf Pack (7 p.m.): The Wolf Pack make the short trip to Bridgeport for the eighth installment of the “Battle of Connecticut.” The Islanders are 5-2-0-0 against the New York Rangers’ affiliate this season and 3-1-0-0 at home. Saturday’s game is the annual Star Wars Night! The first 2,000 fans in attendance will take home a free Bridgeport Islanders lightsaber and Star Wars characters will be available for pictures and autographs beginning at 6 p.m.
Sunday, Mar. 5 vs. Springfield Thunderbirds (3 p.m.): The St. Louis Blues’ affiliate visits Total Mortgage Arena for the penultimate matchup between the Islanders and T-Birds. Bridgeport is 4-2-4-0 through the first 10 meetings and 2-1-1-0 in those games at home. Sunday is also Kid’s Day, featuring $10 tickets for all kids 12 and younger at the Total Mortgage Arena Yale New Haven Health Box Office or online.
Ice Chips
The Dangerous Dufour: William Dufour has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his last eight games, tying him for ninth place in AHL rookie scoring with 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists). He also shares fourth place among all rookies in goals. The Islanders are 11-2-3-1 when Dufour scores at least one goal in a game.
Yolo Cholo: Along with Dufour, Dennis Cholowski had five points in three games last week (five assists) including back-to-back multi-point games on Thursday and Saturday. Cholowski has nine points (one goal, eight assists) in his last eight games and is third on the Islanders in helpers (26), trailing Chris Terry (33) and Ruslan Iskhakov (27).
The Andy Man Can: After a recent call-up with the New York Islanders where he recorded one assist in three games, Andy Andreoff returned to Bridgeport on Feb. 21st and continued his top-line dominance with four points (one goal, three assists) over the past week. His goal came on the power play against Charlotte, tying his career high with nine power-play goals this season (currently leads the team).
Quick Hits: Dufour, Cholowski and Andreoff all enter tomorrow’s game against Providence on a three-game point streak… Jeff Kubiak played in his 250th AHL game (all with Bridgeport) on Sunday... The sixth-year center has seven goals in 52 games this season, closing in on career highs in both categories (59 games, 2019-20 and nine goals, 2018-19)… Paul LaDue is one game shy of his 100th with Bridgeport, while Blade Jenkins and Reece Newkirk are each one game shy of their 100th as a pro… The Islanders’ power play has scored at least once in five of their last six games and ranks fourth in the AHL at 23.7%... The penalty kill sits fourth in the Eastern Conference at 82.0%... The New York Islanders announced Wednesday that goaltender Tristan Lennox has agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract.
Team Leaders
Goals: Andy Andreoff (21)
Assists: Chris Terry (33)
Points: Chris Terry (50)
Shots: Chris Terry (159)
Plus/Minus: Parker Wotherspoon* (+12)
Penalty Minutes: Seth Helgeson (82)
Power-Play Goals: Andy Andreoff (9)
Wins: Cory Schneider (15)
Across The Sound: The New York Islanders (31-25-8) went 2-1-1 over the last week with two wins against the Winnipeg Jets and a shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild. Former Bridgeport Islander, Simon Holmstrom, recorded the game-winning goal last Wednesday, Feb. 22nd, while Hudson Fasching had an assist in a 4-0 win on Sunday in Winnipeg. Bo Horvat leads the team in goals (36) and points (62) in 61 games. The Islanders continue to hold the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference as they prepare for a Saturday afternoon tilt against the Detroit Red Wings at UBS Arena on Saturday