Sound Tigers Battle Two Pennsylvania Rivals
Jan 31, 2020
THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (15-25-4-1), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, return from the 2020 All-Star break this weekend to face a pair of Pennsylvania rivals. The Sound Tigers host the Hershey Bears (27-14-2-3) at 7 p.m. Friday before heading out for a 7:05 p.m. matchup against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (22-16-3-4) on Saturday. With 71 days left in the regular season, the Sound Tigers are hoping to climb the standings in the Atlantic Division and into a playoff spot for the first time this year.
PROMOTIONAL HEADLINERS
The first 1,500 fans at Friday's game will receive a free hockey bingo card with a chance to win great prizes throughout the night, presented by BRYAC Restaurant and Raw Bar. In addition, all fans 21 and older are invited to cap off the week with a $2 beer special from 6 p.m. until the end of the second intermission. Enjoy 12 oz. domestic draft beers at most* concession stands. Click here for tickets and more information.
LISTEN LIVE: www.bit.ly/BSTRadio
WATCH AHLTV: www.theahl.com/AHLTV
LAST TIME OUT
Bridgeport enters the weekend on a three-game slide, including a 6-2 loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds in its last outing on Saturday. Cole Bardreau scored his first goal with the Sound Tigers and Grant Hutton added his fourth of the year, while the club as a whole registered a season-high 43 shots. Jared Coreau (7-12-1) had 32 saves on 38 chances.
TIGERS VS. BEARS
Friday's tilt is the fifth of six meetings between the Sound Tigers and Bears this season, and the second of three in the Park City. Bridgeport is 1-3-0-0 against Hershey this year and has dropped three in a row since earning a 3-2 victory at home on Nov. 23. Their last matchup resulted in a 4-2 Bears win at Giant Center on Jan. 5, in which Kody Clark had the eventual game-winning goal early in the second period. Former New York Islander and 2020 AHL All-Star Matt Moulson leads all players in the season series with six points (two goals, four assists) in four games.
VIEW FROM HERSHEY
The Bears are 19-5-0-0 since Dec. 1 and have vaulted into a tie for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Hartford Wolf Pack (59 points). Hershey had a nine-game win streak from Dec. 1 - Dec. 27 and is currently on a two-game win streak, including a 3-2 shootout victory against the Providence Bruins last Saturday. Liam O'Brien and Phillipe Maillet each scored in regulation, while Maillet and Christian Djoos both scored in a two-round shootout. Matt Moulson was kept quiet, but continues to lead the Bears with 15 goals this year. Leading scorer Mike Sgarbossa (35 points) has missed the last 10 games due to injury after sustaining a lower-body issue against Bridgeport on Jan. 5. In addition, both goaltenders, Vitek Vanecek and Pheonix Copley, rank inside the AHL’s top 11 in goals-against-average.
TIGERS VS. PENGUINS
Saturday’s game is the fourth of six matchups between the Sound Tigers and Penguins this season, and the second of three in Pennsylvania. Bridgeport is 1-1-0-1 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and suffered a 5-2 regulation loss in its only other trip to Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Nov. 30. In their last meeting on Dec. 21, Travis St. Denis scored twice and the Sound Tigers earned their second shutout of the season, courtesy of Jakub Skarek’s 30-save effort.
VIEW FROM WILKES-BARRE
The Penguins enter the weekend on a five-game point streak (4-0-0-1) and sit just one point out of a playoff spot, tied with the Charlotte Checkers for fifth place in the Atlantic Division standings (51 points). Last Saturday, the Penguins won their fourth straight game with a 4-2 result against the Checkers in North Carolina, led by two-goal performances from both Jordy Bellerive and Thomas Di Pauli. It also concluded a six-game road trip heading into the break, but now Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will enjoy a season-long five-game homestand, which begins Friday night against the seventh-place Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
BRIGHTEST OF THE STARS
Bridgeport's Sebastian Aho, along with Hershey's Matt Moulson and Vitek Vanecek, helped the Atlantic Division win the 2020 AHL All-Star Challenge on Monday night in Ontario, California. Aho, who was recalled by the Islanders on Thursday, scored once and added an assist in his second straight All-Star appearance, while Moulson also had one goal and an assist, and served as the Eastern Conference's playing captain. In net, Vanecek made nine saves on 10 shots and was named MVP of the 3-on-3 round robin tournament.
ST. DENIS STRIKES
Travis St. Denis scored his first goal in 11 games last Friday in Hartford, which was also his 18th point (seven goals, 11 assists) of the season. St. Denis improved to fourth on the club in scoring and fifth in goals during his fourth professional campaign. The Sound Tigers are 4-0-0-0 when he records a multi-point outing this year.
BACK AT 'THE BANK'
January is the lightest month for the Sound Tigers at home, playing just four games at Webster Bank Arena including Friday. However, the club will look forward to seven home games in February as the playoff push heats up. Bridgeport is one game above .500 at Webster Bank Arena (9-8-2-1) and 4-2-1-0 since Dec. 18.
QUICK HITS
Christopher Gibson made 24 saves on 28 shots in last Friday’s game at Hartford, his first appearance since Nov. 27 due to injury… Seth Helgeson is the only player to appear in all 45 games this season… Bridgeport is 17 points shy of a playoff spot as the club returns from All-Star break with 31 games left in the regular season... The Sound Tigers acquired winger Dylan Sadowy from Utica on Thursday to complete the Jan. 10 trade for John Stevens… He was immediately loaned to the Worcester Railers (ECHL)… Jakub Skarek was reassigned to Worcester by the New York Islanders this morning.
AFFILIATE REPORT
NHL: New York Islanders (29-15-5) - Next: Saturday vs. Vancouver Canucks, 1 p.m. ET
ECHL: Worcester Railers (17-25-2-0) - Next: Friday vs. Reading Royals, 7:05 p.m. ET