Preview: Islanders at Comets
Dec 16, 2022THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (14-6-5-0) face two North Division opponents this weekend, making their only visits to Utica and Syracuse during the regular season. The Islanders face the Utica Comets (8-9-3-1) at 7 p.m. tonight inside the Adirondack Bank Center. Bridgeport has points in back-to-back games including a 2-1 overtime loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds at home on Wednesday. Vincent Sevigny scored his third goal of the season in the third period and Cory Schneider (10-2-2) made 32 saves.
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WATCH: AHLTV.com
GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the first of two meetings between the Islanders and Comets this season, and the only matchup in New York. Bridgeport swept the two-game series in 2021-22, including a 4-1 win in Utica on Mar. 23, 2022. Paul LaDue scored twice and Schneider made 30 saves that night. Bridgeport has won three straight meetings dating back to Dec. 13, 2019, and five straight games in Utica dating back to Dec. 1, 2017.
VIEW FROM UTICA
The Comets have lost back-to-back games and enter the weekend seventh in the North Division. They fell to the Laval Rocket in their last game, 5-2 at home on Wednesday. Samuel Laberge scored both goals and Mackenzie Blackwood made 18 saves on 22 shots. Former Hershey Bears forward Brian Pinho leads the Comets in goals (8) and points (15). Nico Daws is 20th among all AHL goaltenders with a 2.64 GAA.
FAMILY REUNION
Head coach Brent Thompson will face his youngest son, Tyce, when the Islanders battle the Comets tonight. It will be the first time Thompson has coached a professional game against one of his two sons. Tyce is a center in his second season with Utica, recording 10 points (4g, 6a) in 18 games this year. His oldest son, Tage, is currently with the Buffalo Sabres, who also played 70 games in the AHL between the San Antonio Rampage and Rochester Americans.
MAGIC NUMBER IS THREE
The Islanders have scored more than two goals only once in their last five games, going 1-3-1-0 over that span. When scoring three or more goals this season, Bridgeport is 14-0-3-0. They are 0-6-2-0 when scoring two or fewer.
POWERING UP
Despite going 0-for-3 on the power play Wednesday, the Islanders have scored three times on the man advantage in their last three games. Bridgeport is 23-for-85 on the power play this season (27.1%), which ranks fourth in the AHL. Andy Andreoff remains tied for second in the league with seven power- play goals, while Sam Bolduc’s 11 power-play points (1g, 10a) share fourth among AHL defensemen.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (17-12-1): Last: 4-3 SOL at Boston, Tuesday -- Next: Tonight at Arizona, 9:30 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (16-7-1-0): Last: 5-3 L vs. Idaho, Sunday -- Next: Tomorrow vs. Newfoundland, 7:05 p.m. ET