Preview: Islanders at Bruins
Oct 18, 2023
THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (1-1-0-0) face the defending regular-season champs of the Atlantic Division to complete a three-game road trip tonight. Puck drop between the Islanders and Providence Bruins (0-1-0-1) is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Tonight’s matchup is the first of 12 meetings between Bridgeport and Providence this season and the first of six in Rhode Island. The Islanders went 6-6-0-0 against the Bruins in 2022-23 and 4-2-0-0 in those games on the road.
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OPEN ROAD
The Islanders opened the regular season with a 1-1-0-0 record last weekend, splitting a pair of games in Upstate New York against the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch. It’s the seventh straight season that Bridgeport has started on the road and the third straight season that begins with at least three consecutive road games. Last time out, Brian Pinho and Jackson Cates each scored their first goal with Bridgeport in a 4-2 setback to the Crunch on Saturday. Ruslan Iskhakov had two assists and Ken Appleby made 33 saves in his season debut.
VIEW FROM PROVIDENCE
Head coach Ryan Mougenel’s club finished last season with a 44-18-8-2 overall record - best in the Eastern Conference. However, the Bruins begin this season with a 0-1-0-1 mark after a pair of setbacks last weekend. Providence pocketed one point in a 3-2 shootout loss to Hartford on Friday and suffered a 4-3 regulation loss in Springfield on Saturday. Long Island native and 2023 AHL All-Star Brandon Bussi played both games in net after signing a one-year, two-way extension with Boston in June.
HIGH FIVES
Ruslan Iskhakov and Brian Pinho each had a team-high five points over the weekend and are currently tied for the league lead. Iskhakov recorded two goals and three assists including his third career game- winning goal, and his first AHL overtime winner, on Friday. The 23-year-old ranked fourth on the team in points last season (51), fifth in goals (17) and third in assists (34). Meanwhile, newcomer Brian Pinho had one goal and four assists in his first two games with the team.
PINHO’S HISTORIC DEBUT
Five players made their Bridgeport Islanders debut on Friday, including sixth-year forward Brian Pinho, who had never recorded more than two assists in any of his 225 career AHL games prior to the season opener. Pinho notched two primary assists and two secondary helpers, setting Bridgeport’s franchise record for points (and assists) in a team debut. The 28-year-old signed a one-year, two-way deal with the New York Islanders in July after collecting 28 points (10g, 18a) in 53 games with Utica last season.
BITING BACK AT THE BRUINS
Arnaud Durandeau scored two goals in the Islanders’ last meeting against the Bruins, a 5-3 setback in the final game of the 2022-23 season. Both came on the power play. The 24-year-old winger has six goals in his last five games since Apr. 12, 2023, with four of those on the man advantage. Durandeau has 14 points (6g, 8a) in his last 10 AHL games overall including a career-high nine-game scoring streak that ended Saturday night.
QUICK HITS
Eetu Liukas, New York’s fifth-round draft pick in 2021, made his AHL debut on Friday, producing two shots… William Dufour posted a game-high and professional career-high eight shots on Friday… Tanner Fritz is expected to make his season debut and official return to Bridgeport this evening.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (2-0-0): Last: 1-0 W vs. ARI, last night - Next: Friday vs. NJD, 7:30 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (0-0-0-0): Next: Saturday, Oct. 21 vs. ADK, 7:05 p.m. ET