Preview: Islanders vs. Thunderbirds
Dec 14, 2022
THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (14-6-4-0) host the Springfield Thunderbirds (9-10-1-4) tonight in their final home game before Christmas. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. at Total Mortgage Arena. The Islanders have dropped three straight home games for the first time this season, but are coming off a 5-2 victory at Providence on Sunday. Andy Andreoff scored twice and Aatu Raty posted a career-high three points (1g, 2a), while Cory Schneider (10-2-1) set a new season high in saves (40) for the second straight outing. Bridgeport went 2-for-4 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, and ranks inside the top eight in both categories in the AHL.
LISTEN LIVE: https://bit.ly/BridgeportIslanders
WATCH: AHLTV.com
GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the fifth of 12 meetings between the Islanders and Thunderbirds this season, and the third of six at Total Mortgage Arena. Bridgeport is 2-1-1-0 against Springfield and had points in each of the first three meetings before falling at home, 3-1, just 10 days ago. Sam Bolduc had Bridgeport’s lone goal that day. Springfield’s Nikita Alexandrov leads all players in the series with eight points (4g, 4a), including a hat trick on Oct. 28th.
VIEW FROM SPRINGFIELD
The Thunderbirds have points in three straight games (2-0-1-0) and remain seventh in the Atlantic Division standings, one point behind the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Springfield earned a 2-0 win against the Milwaukee Admirals at home on Sunday, backstopped by Joel Hofer’s 25-save shutout. Matthew Highmore and Jake Neighbours (first AHL goal) both scored. Highmore shares ninth among all AHL players in assists (19) and is tied for 15th in scoring (24 points). Hofer is third in minutes played (1,026:15), second in saves (493), and tied for fifth in goals-against-average (2.28). The Thunderbirds open a four-game road trip tonight.
TERRY TAKING OVER
Chris Terry enters tonight’s contest on a three-game point streak (1g, 3a) and has points in eight of his last nine games overall. Now Bridgeport’s leading scorer (23 points), Terry recorded two assists on Sunday in Providence and paces the team in helpers (17). He has four goals and 11 assists for 15 points since Nov. 23rd (nine games).
POWERFUL STUFF
The Islanders have scored a power-play goal in back-to-back games and went 2-for-4 against the Bruins on Sunday, improving their success rate to 28.0% this season (23-for-82). That ranks third in the AHL. Andy Andreoff is tied for second in the league with seven power-play goals, while Sam Bolduc’s 11 power-play points (1g, 10a) share fourth among all AHL defensemen.
PK PUNISHERS
Bridgeport has killed off 13 of 14 opponent power-play opportunities over the last three games, giving them a success rate of 83.7% this season. That ranks eighth in the AHL. The Islanders went a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill against Hershey on Friday and 4-for-4 against Providence on Sunday afternoon.
QUICK HITS
The Islanders have scored five or more goals in 11 of their 24 games... Brent Thompson has rotated goaltenders through the last 16 games since Cory Schneider started two straight Oct. 29 - Nov. 1... Andy Andreoff’s third-period goal against Providence on Sunday was the 100th of his AHL career… Parker Wotherspoon has assists in three straight games.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (17-12-1): Last: 4-3 SOL at BOS, last night -- Next: Friday at ARI, 9:30 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (16-7-1-0): Last: 5-3 L vs. IDH, Sunday -- Next: Saturday vs. NFL, 7:05 p.m. ET