Preview: Islanders at Rocket
Mar 13, 2024
THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (20-30-6-1) open a five-game road trip with their first visit to Canada this season, tangling with the Laval Rocket (25-24-6-2) at 7 p.m. inside Place Bell. The Islanders will face the Rocket again this Friday. Bridgeport has won three straight road games for the first time since Feb. 17th - Mar. 8th of last season. The Islanders have outscored their opponents 10-4 over that stretch, which has also helped Bridgeport win five of its last seven games overall. The club is 10 points out of a playoff spot with 15 games remaining, directly trailing both Springfield and Lehigh Valley, who are tied for sixth in the Atlantic Division.
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LAST TIME OUT
The Islanders saw their season-long, four-game winning streak come to an end in a 4-3 loss to Lehigh Valley at Total Mortgage Arena on Sunday. Dennis Cholowski assisted on two of the three goals, while Jeff Kubiak, Tyce Thompson and Daylan Kuefler all scored. Brian Pinho also earned a helper to extend his point streak to four games (2g, 3a). Henrik Tikkanen (7-4-2) made 30 saves.
ISLANDERS VS. ROCKET
Tonight’s game is the third of four meetings between the Islanders and Rocket this season, and the first of two in Quebec. Bridgeport is 1-1-0-0 against the Montreal Canadiens’ affiliate after a two-game split at Total Mortgage Arena last month. Matt Maggio scored both goals in a 2-1 overtime victory on Feb. 18th before the Rocket retaliated with a 4-0 win on Feb. 28th. Jakub Dobes made 35 saves for his first AHL shutout that night. The four-game series wraps up Friday night at 7 p.m. in Canada.
VIEW FROM LAVAL
The Rocket have won two straight games to climb within three points of a playoff spot. Laval is sixth in the North Division, three points behind Belleville and Toronto, with 15 games remaining. Last time out, Brandon Gignac scored four points (1g, 3a) and Kasimir Kaskisuo (6-2-0) made 28 saves in a 5-2 victory against Cleveland on Saturday, completing a two-game weekend sweep of the Monsters. Gignac, who had one goal in seven NHL games with Montreal earlier this season, leads Laval with 50 points (16g, 34a) in 51 games. He is tied for the team lead in goals with Philippe Maillet and Lias Andersson (16).
PINHO POISED TO KEEP ROLLING
Brian Pinho has points in four straight games for the first time this season (2g, 3a). He also has assists in three straight contests. The 28-year-old center recorded his third multi-point game on Saturday with a goal and an assist, and then tallied the primary helper on Tyce Thompson’s second-period goal on Sunday. He has matched his career high for assists (18) and will look to set a new mark tonight. Pinho is tied for third on the Islanders in scoring with 24 points (6g, 18a).
CHOLOWSKI HITS 100 AHL ASSISTS
Dennis Cholowski recorded his fourth multi-point game of the season on Sunday with a pair of assists. His primary helper on Daylan Kuefler’s third-period goal was the 100th of his AHL career. Cholowski is third on the Islanders in assists this season (19) and shares third in points with Pinho (24).
QUICK HITS
The Islanders are 4-4-0-0 against North Division clubs this season... Bridgeport went 2-0-0-0 in Canada last year... The Islanders are fifth in the AHL in shots-on-goal per game (31.65)... Jeff Kubiak scored his eighth goal of the season in his 327th Bridgeport game on Sunday, passing Jeremy Colliton for third on the team’s all-time list... Kubiak is one goal shy of his AHL career best (nine, two times)... The Islanders are the only Eastern Conference team that hasn’t allowed a shorthanded goal on the road.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (29-21-14): Last: 3-0 L at Los Angeles, Monday -- Next: Tomorrow at Buffalo, 7 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (25-25-4-2): Last: 3-1 L at Trois Rivières, Saturday -- Next: Today vs. Reading, 10:05 a.m. ET