Weekend Preview: Islanders Battle Bruins, Phantoms
Apr 8, 2022The Bridgeport Islanders (27-27-7-4, .500) tackle their seventh and final “three-in-three” series of the season this weekend, facing the Providence Bruins (31-19-4-6, .600) and Lehigh Valley Phantoms (25-28-7-4, .477) in a trio of critical Atlantic Division matchups. It continues a demanding stretch of six games in nine days for the New York Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate. Bridgeport enters the weekend seventh in the division, .016 percentage points behind the sixth-place Hartford Wolf Pack (29-27-6-2, .516) for the final playoff spot.
AHEAD THIS WEEKEND
The Islanders will bookend their hectic weekend at Total Mortgage Arena, with a quick trip to Providence squeezed in the middle (Saturday, 7:05 p.m.). Bridgeport hosts Providence at 7 p.m. tonight for “Hockey and Hops,” featuring a pre-game beer tasting from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. that showcases local breweries such as Two Roads, Tribus Beer Co., Fairfield Craft Ale and more! On Sunday, the Islanders host the Phantoms at 3 p.m. for Pokémania Day! A Pokémon-themed photo booth and slapshot game will be set up in the Kids Zone. Amazing Andy will also be showing off his magic and kid’s tickets are just $10 for those 11 and younger at the Yale New Haven Health Box Office.
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LAST TIME OUT
The Islanders collected one point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Hershey Bears in front of 6,186 fans at Total Mortgage Arena on Tuesday. Nine different Islanders recorded a point, including Kyle MacLean, Jeff Kubiak, and Chris Terry, who all scored. Cory Schneider (10-10-4) made 37 saves in his return from New York. Both teams led in a back-and-forth contest that ended the six-game season series. Four of the six matchups went to overtime and Bridgeport finished 1-2-3-0 against the Bears.
ISLANDERS VS. BRUINS
Tonight’s game is the 11th of 12 meetings between the Islanders and Bruins this season, and the final tilt at Total Mortgage Arena. The division rivals will rematch on Saturday in Rhode Island to conclude the series. Bridgeport is 5-3-0-2 against Providence this season and 2-2-0-1 in those games at home. Overall, the Islanders have won two straight meetings and three of the last four. Bridgeport swept a two-game series at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Mar. 12-13, outscoring the Bruins 10-4 that weekend. The latter was a 3-0 victory in which Cole Bardreau scored twice and Cory Schneider made 33 saves to earn his first AHL shutout since Mar. 21, 2010. Bardreau leads all players in the season series with eight points (4g, 4a) in eight games.
VIEW FROM PROVIDENCE
The Bruins snapped a three-game losing streak on Monday with a 4-3 overtime win against the Hartford Wolf Pack at home. Steven Fogarty scored the game-winning goal just 45 seconds into OT, completing a two-point night (1g, 1a) against his former team. However, Providence is winless in regulation in its last four (since Mar. 26th against Springfield) and has dropped to third place in the Atlantic Division (72 points). The Bruins are 3-3-1-3 in their last 10 games. They are led in scoring by forward Cameron Hughes with 44 points (14g, 30a) in 56 games, while Troy Grosenick leads all AHL netminders with a 2.02 GAA through 26 appearances.
ISLANDERS VS. PHANTOMS
Sunday’s 3 p.m. puck drop is the fifth of six meetings between the Islanders and Phantoms this season, and the third of three in the Park City. Bridgeport is 2-1-1-0 against Philadelphia’s affiliate this season and 1-1-0-0 in those games at home. Most recently, Lehigh Valley secured a 4-3 win in regulation exactly one week ago, led by three power-play goals. Chris Terry scored his team-leading 24th goal of the season and hit the 50-point mark for the ninth time in his career, while Collin Adams and Mitch Vande Sompel also beat veteran goaltender Pat Nagle. Isaac Ratcliffe had two power-play tallies for Lehigh Valley.
VIEW FROM LEHIGH VALLEY
Lehigh Valley had a three-game winning streak come to an end on Wednesday in a 3-1 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on the road. Hayden Hodgson scored the Phantoms’ lone goal, while Felix Sandstrom (14-17-3) made 20 saves in his team-leading 39th appearance, which shares sixth place in the league. The eighth-place Phantoms host Hershey tonight and have the day off Saturday in preparation for Sunday’s matinee at Total Mortgage Arena.
HARDLY ON A SCHNEID
After making 27 saves in a 4-3 win against the New Jersey Devils last Sunday, Cory Schneider returned to Bridgeport and turned aside at least 30 shots for the fifth straight game in Tuesday’s overtime setback to Hershey. Schneider is 17th among all AHL goalies with a 2.73 GAA and is 6-1-2 in his last nine starts dating back to Feb. 11th. He boasts a 1.69 GAA and .952 save percentage in his last seven appearances.
FOUR SCORE
Chris Terry, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Thursday, has scored a goal in four straight games, matching the Islanders’ longest streak of the season. It is tied for the longest active streak in the AHL. Arnaud Durandeau also scored in four consecutive games from Feb. 26th - Mar. 5th. Terry’s team-leading 25th tally of the season on Tuesday came on a back-shot from below the goal line in the third period, which ultimately got the Islanders one point. He leads Bridgeport in many offensive categories: goals (25), points (51), power-play goals (7), power-play points (18), multi-point games (13), shots on goal (185), and is tied for first in game-winning goals (4). He is five goals shy of becoming a 30-goal scorer for the fourth time in his career.
QUICK HITS
Austin Czarnik is on a four-game point streak (2g, 4a) and has 16 points (4g, 12a) in 11 AHL games since he was reclaimed off waivers from the Seattle Kraken… Parker Wotherspoon is on a three-game assist streak (four assists total)… Mitch Vande Sompel is two games shy of his 200th AHL/professional appearance... The Islanders have seven games remaining in their regular season, all against Atlantic Division teams... Bridgeport is 19-25-5-4 within its division this season... Providence and Lehigh Valley both have 12 games remaining in the regular season, tied for the most in the AHL.
AFFILIATE UPDATE
New York Islanders (32-28-9); Last: 3-2 L at Dallas, Tuesday -- Next: Tonight at Carolina, 7 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (29-29-4-2); Last: 4-3 W vs. Maine, Wednesday -- Next: Tonight vs. Trois-Rivieres, 7:05 p.m. ET