Preview: Islanders vs. Wolf Pack
Mar 4, 2023
THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (24-21-7-1) continue a season-long, six-game homestand tonight with a 7 p.m. puck drop against the Hartford Wolf Pack (23-20-3-7) at Total Mortgage Arena. It’s another critical contest as the in-state rivals are dead even for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division standings. Both teams have 56 points in 53 games. Bridgeport is looking to build on a convincing 7-1 victory against the Providence Bruins on Thursday, setting a new season high in goals and tying the club record with five goals in the third period alone. Andy Andreoff had two goals and Ruslan Iskhakov led the way with three points (1g, 2a), while Jakub Skarek (9-12-3) made 25 saves.
LISTEN: https://bit.ly/BridgeportIslanders
WATCH: AHLTV.com
STAR WARS NIGHT
Tonight’s game is the annual Star Wars Night at Total Mortgage Arena, featuring a lightsaber giveaway to the first 2,000 fans in attendance when doors open at 6 p.m. A variety of Star Wars characters will be roaming the concourse for pictures and autographs as well. On the ice, the Islanders are wearing their “Fisherman” third jerseys tonight for the second time this season. Tickets are on sale here!
GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight’s game is the eighth of 12 meetings between the Islanders and Wolf Pack this season, and the fifth of six at Total Mortgage Arena. Bridgeport is 5-2-0-0 against Hartford and 3-1-0-0 in those games at home. The Islanders have won each of the last two meetings by a combined 12-5 count, including a 6-2 win at XL Center on Jan. 25th followed by a 6-3 victory in Hartford on Feb. 17th. Chris Terry leads all players in the series with 12 points (5g, 7a) in just five games. He has seven points in the last two meetings alone (3g, 4a). Hartford’s Ryan Carpenter has a series-best six goals in four games.
VIEW FROM HARTFORD
The Wolf Pack are on a five-game unbeaten in regulation streak (4-0-0-1) as they close out a five-game road trip tonight. Just 24 hours ago, Hartford goaltender Louis Domingue made 42 saves in 65 minutes and stopped five of seven shots in a lengthy shootout, but it wasn’t enough in a 1-0 loss at Springfield - snapping Hartford’s four-game win streak. Hartford’s roster has gone through major construction in the last week as its parent club, the New York Rangers, were extremely active at the NHL Trade Deadline. The Rangers made seven trades in the last month, including the acquisition of Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, which also sent Wolf Pack defenseman Andy Welinski to Chicago.
RIP-ROARING RUSLAN
Ruslan Iskhakov has five goals and 12 points in his last seven games, tying him for first place among all rookie scorers in the AHL alongside Iowa’s Sammy Walker. The All-Star winger recorded his team- leading sixth three-point night of the season on Thursday and scored a goal for the second straight game, and fifth time in his last six. Iskhakov has 43 points (14g, 29a) in 50 games this season. He also has 25 shots on goal, a plus-six rating, and four multi-point performances in his last seven games. Iskhakov has 11 points in six games against the Wolf Pack (all assists).
ANDREOFF’S STREAK
Andy Andreoff carries a four-game point streak into tonight’s tilt (3g, 3a), his fourth streak of at least that many games this season. Andreoff scored twice on Thursday and now leads the team with 23 goals this season, tied for 10th among all AHL players. He is second on the Islanders with 44 points in 50 games. The veteran center is just three goals and 11 points shy of his career highs set in 2018-19 with Syracuse. His nine power-play goals have already matched his career best.
QUICK HITS
The New York Islanders returned Otto Koivula to Bridgeport and then immediately called him back up at 3 p.m. yesterday, making him eligible to play in the AHL again this season... Hudson Fasching, Parker Wotherspoon and Simon Holmstrom were not sent down and can no longer play for Bridgeport this season or in the Calder Cup Playoffs... Bridgeport’s power play has scored in four straight games and now ranks second in the AHL at 24.0%, while Hartford’s power play is last in the league at 14.4%.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (31-25-8): Last: 2-1 SOL at Minnesota, Tuesday -- Next: Today vs. Detroit, 12:30 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (27-24-3-0): Last: 3-1 W vs. Newfoundland, last night -- Next: Tonight vs. Newfoundland, 7:05 p.m. ET