Preview: Islanders vs. Thunderbirds
Jan 10, 2024
THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (10-19-3-0) square off against the Springfield Thunderbirds (16-12-3-2) at 7 p.m. tonight in game four of a five-game homestand. It’s the first meeting between the Atlantic Division rivals at Total Mortgage Arena since Nov. 11th. Last time out, the Islanders earned a 3-2 overtime victory against the Charlotte Checkers on Sunday. Ruslan Iskhakov scored the game winner 3:33 into the extra session, his second goal of the night and his fourth overtime goal this year, which tied the AHL’s single-season record. William Dufour posted his team-leading fourth power-play goal and Robin Salo had an AHL career-high three assists to help the Islanders improve to 4-0-1-0 in Sunday games.
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GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the seventh of 12 meetings between the Islanders and Thunderbirds this season, and the third of six in Connecticut. It marks the beginning of four straight matchups at Total Mortgage Arena. Bridgeport is 3-2-1-0 against Springfield this season following a 6-5 overtime win on the road Dec. 29th. Ruslan Iskhakov cruised in on a breakaway and scored an incredible between-the-legs, overtime goal that night, while Otto Koivula collected a career-high four assists. Henrik Tikkanen made 29 saves to emerge victorious in his AHL debut.
VIEW FROM SPRINGFIELD
Interim head coach Daniel Tkaczuk, who played 69 games for Bridgeport in 2002-03, has seen his club fall into a recent slump. Springfield has lost five straight games (0-3-1-1) and drifted back to sixth in the Atlantic Division, three points ahead of Lehigh Valley. The Thunderbirds are coming off a 6-3 loss in Providence on Sunday, despite consecutive goals from Zachary Bolduc, Mackenzie MacEachern, and Adam Gaudette. Gaudette has now scored in three straight games and leads the AHL with 20 goals on the season. He shares fifth in points (32) and is fourth in the league in shots (118).
ISLANDERS ADD TWARYNSKI
Bridgeport signed 26-year-old forward Carsen Twarynski on Monday afternoon. He has joined the team and will wear #11. Twarynski, who was a third-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2016, has 82 points (40g, 42a) in 249 career AHL games with Lehigh Valley, Charlotte, and Coachella Valley. He had 17 goals in 71 regular-season games with the Firebirds last season and added eight points (5g, 3a) in 26 playoff contests, helping Coachella Valley reach the Calder Cup Finals. Twarynski has one goal in 22 NHL games with the Flyers.
ISKHAKOV’S SCORING STREAK HITS EIGHT
Ruslan Iskhakov scored two goals for the third time this season on Sunday, extending his point streak to a career-long eight games. The 22-year-old Russian winger, who was named the AHL’s Second Star of the Night, has five goals and six assists in his last eight games. Iskhakov also recorded his fourth overtime winner and tied the AHL’s single-season record for overtime goals. He leads the Islanders in goals (12), assists (16) and points (28) in 32 contests. He also paces the team in shots (79), multi-point games (9) and power-play points (8).
QUICK HITS
Bridgeport’s power play has scored at least once in four of its last five games, going 8-for-21 over that span (38.1%)… More than half of the Islanders’ games have been decided by one goal (18-for-32, 56.3%)… Ruslan Iskhakov’s four overtime goals are the most for any Bridgeport player in a single season and just two behind Jeff Hamilton’s team career record... Robin Salo has five points in his last two games (1g, 4a) and 10 points in his last nine (2g, 8a).
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (18-12-10): Last: 5-2 L vs. Vancouver, last night - Next: Tomorrow vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (14-13-3-2): Last: 4-2 L at Maine, Sunday - Next: Friday vs. Norfolk, 7:05 p.m. ET