Preview: Islanders vs. Bears
Oct 22, 2023
THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (2-2-0-0) host the defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears (3-1-0-0) at 3 p.m. today to complete opening weekend at Total Mortgage Arena. The Islanders are looking to begin their home schedule with back-to-back wins following a 2-1 overtime victory against the Utica Comets less than 24 hours ago. Robin Salo scored the winner just 1:13 into the extra session, while Matt Maggio earned his first professional goal midway through the second period. Jakub Skarek (2-1-0) made 26 saves and Kyle MacLean added two assists for his second consecutive multi-point performance.
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GAME AT A GLANCE
Today’s game is the first of six meetings between the Islanders and Bears this season, and the first of three in Bridgeport. The Islanders will also host Washington’s affiliate on Nov. 18th and Jan. 15th. The Atlantic Division rivals will square off three times in November alone, with two matchups in Hershey, PA on Nov. 4th and Nov. 17th. Bridgeport was 2-2-2-0 against Hershey last season and 1-2-0-0 in those games at Total Mortgage Arena. The Islanders defeated the Bears, 5-1, in last season’s home finale on Apr. 14th, led by Arnaud Durandeau’s two goals.
VIEW FROM HERSHEY
The Bears have won three straight games since falling to Belleville in their season opener on Oct. 14th. Hershey bounced back with a 5-0 win over Cleveland on Oct. 15th and defeated Providence in a pair of road games to begin the weekend. Last night, Ethan Frank and Jimmy Huntington both scored twice in a 5-4 shootout win against the Bruins at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Hunter Shepard made 32 saves on 36 shots and stopped two of three in a brief three-round shootout. Frank, a 2023 AHL All-Star who led all rookies with 30 goals last season, paces Hershey in scoring with six points (3g, 3a) in four games. All three of his goals have come on the power play where the Bears are 5-for-16 (31.3%) on the season.
MAGGIO THE MAGICIAN
Twenty-year-old winger Matt Maggio scored his first professional goal at 9:31 of the second period last night. It was his seventh pro game dating back to April. Maggio, a fifth-round draft pick of the New York Islanders in 2022, has two points this season (1g, 1a) and four points in his first seven pro games (1g, 3a). He is the defending Ontario Hockey League Player of the Year, winning the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player last season. Maggio led the league with a whopping 54 goals and 111 points in 66 games as Windsor Spitfires captain.
MAC ATTACK
Kyle MacLean has four points (2g, 2a) in his last two games including a pair of primary assists last night. MacLean scored twice for the first time in his pro career on Wednesday in Providence, finishing off a pair of heavy blasts from the deep slot at even strength. The 24-year-old, who signed his first NHL contract with the New York Islanders in May, set professional career highs in goals (11), assists (16), points (27) and shots (99) last season. He also led the Islanders in shorthanded points (five).
QUICK HITS
Today is Seth Helgeson’s 600th game in the AHL... Tanner Fritz played his 200th game with Bridgeport last night, recording his first point of the season (assist)... Ruslan Iskhakov and Brian Pinho continue to lead the Islanders in scoring with five points through four games... Pinho, who faced a former team in Utica last night, will do so again this afternoon... The 28-year-old center spent parts of four seasons with the Bears from 2018-22, including his pro debut on Oct. 6, 2018... Today’s game begins a stretch of seven straight matchups against Atlantic Division opponents.
New York Islanders (2-1-1): Last: 3-1 L at BUF, last night -- Next: Tuesday vs. COL, 8 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (1-0-0-0): Last: 5-2 W vs. ADK, last night -- Next: Today vs. TR, 3:05 p.m. ET