The Bridgeport Report: Week 14
Jan 19, 2022
The Bridgeport Islanders (13-17-3-4) crossed the halfway mark on their 2021-22 regular season this past week, earning two points in a pair of road games against the Hershey Bears and Providence Bruins.
Andy Andreoff led the offense with three points (one goal, two assists), including his first goal since Dec. 11th, while Jakub Skarek (10-8-3) appeared in the crease both nights. Skarek has played more than 1,300 minutes over 23 games with the Islanders this season, fourth-most of any goaltender in the American Hockey League.
Bridgeport opened the week with a come-from-behind, 4-3 shootout win in Hershey on Wednesday, extending its unbeaten in regulation streak to six games (3-0-2-1). Seth Helgeson, Paul Thompson and Erik Brown each scored in regulation, and Michael Dal Colle had the only tally in a three-round shootout. Skarek made 27 saves for his third consecutive victory, as Bridgeport bounced back from an early 2-0 deficit in its 36th of 72 games on the season.
After an extremely rare Friday and Saturday night off, the Islanders continued their road trip on Sunday afternoon and fell to the Bruins, 6-3, at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. It was Bridgeport’s first regulation loss of 2022. Andreoff, Blade Jenkins and Sam Bolduc each found the back of the net, but Providence scored five times in the second period for its third straight win.
The seventh-place Isles, AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, return to action this weekend with a trio of games against the top two teams in the Atlantic Division. They will face the Bruins (16-9-3-1) and Springfield Thunderbirds (18-11-3-1) in their fourth “three-in-three” of the season and their first since Nov. 5-7. Bridgeport finishes its road trip on Friday in Providence before coming home for a Saturday-Sunday doubleheader at Webster Bank Arena.
The Week Ahead
Friday, Jan. 21 at Providence Bruins (7:05 p.m.) - The Islanders and Bruins take the Dunkin’ Donuts Center ice for the second time in less than a week, squaring off this Friday in a 7:05 p.m. rematch. Bridgeport is 2-2-0-2 against Providence this season and 0-1-0-1 in Rhode Island. Andy Andreoff has two of Bridgeport’s four goals in Providence this season.
Saturday, Jan. 22 vs. Providence Bruins (7 p.m.) – The Islanders return to Webster Bank Arena on Saturday night for a 7 p.m. puck drop against Boston’s affiliate. It’s Hockey Night in Connecticut, featuring exclusive giveaways, Kids Zone games and a celebration of the remarkable legacy of professional and youth hockey in the state. Tickets are on sale now.
Sunday, Jan. 23 vs. Springfield Thunderbirds (3 p.m.) – Bridgeport hosts Springfield for Wizarding World Night this Sunday to conclude its brief two-game homestand. Webster Bank Arena will be turned into a Wizarding World, complete with a virtual reality wizard game, trivia and more. Click here for tickets.
Ice Chips
Comeback Kids: Two of Bridgeport’s last three wins have come when trailing 2-0 at the first intermission, including Wednesday’s victory at Hershey. In fact, the Islanders have won five times when facing a deficit after 20 minutes, tied for third-most in the Eastern Conference (5-7-0-2). Bridgeport has won more times when allowing the first goal (eight) than it has when scoring first (five).
Andy Scores His Sixth: Andy Andreoff has scored in both trips to Providence this season, including his sixth goal of the year in his 300th AHL game on Sunday. Andreoff is fourth on the Isles in scoring (17 points) and has points in back-to-back games for the first time since he went on a four-game scoring streak, Dec. 4-12. He has also played five games with the New York Islanders this season, scoring in their 4-1 setback to the Rangers on Nov. 24, 2021 at UBS Arena.
Skarek’s Streak: Jakub Skarek stopped all 11 shots he faced in 26:09 of relief on Sunday (no decision), taking over for Cory Schneider in the second period. The 22-year-old has won each of his last three starts and is 3-0-1 over his last four starts dating back to Jan. 1st. He ranks fourth among all AHL goalies in minutes played (1,317:20) and saves (614). Skarek has made 27 or more saves in eight of his last nine starts.
Cole Keeps Rolling: Cole Bardreau has four points in his last five games (three goals, one assist) and nine points in his last 11 dating back to Dec. 15th. He set up Seth Helgeson’s goal on Wednesday and although he didn’t register a point on Sunday, he screened goaltender Jeremy Swayman to create Andreoff’s opening tally. Bardreau shares 10th place on the Islanders’ roster in scoring (10 points), and is tied for second in goals (seven) despite playing just 17 games.
Quick Hits: Bardreau is fourth among all AHL players in shooting percentage (7-for-24, 29.2%)… Michael Dal Colle has points in six of his last eight games, but has gone two straight games without a point for the first time all season… Despite Wednesday’s result in Hershey, the Islanders are winless in regulation in six straight road games… Bridgeport’s 37 games played are the most in the league… The Islanders have the fewest penalty minutes per game in the AHL (10.03).
Team Leaders
Goals: Chris Terry (11)
Assists: Otto Koivula (18)
Points: Chris Terry (26)
Plus/Minus: Jeff Kubiak (+7)
Penalty Minutes: Parker Wotherspoon (48)
Shots: Chris Terry (101)
Power-Play Goals: Chris Terry, Collin Adams, Austin Czarnik (3)
Shorthanded Goals: Cole Bardreau (1)
Games Played: Kyle MacLean (37)
Wins: Jakub Skarek (10)
Across the Sound: The New York Islanders (13-13-6) beat the Philadelphia Flyers for the second straight night on Tuesday, but needed a third-period comeback and nine rounds of a shootout to do so. Bridgeport grad Oliver Wahlstrom was the only player to score in the marathon shootout, while three more former Bridgeport players, Robin Salo (first NHL goal), Josh Bailey and Casey Cizikas, all scored in regulation in the 4-3 final. Cizikas also recorded a goal in a 4-1 victory against the Flyers on Monday. The Islanders, who are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, open a seven-game homestand at UBS Arena this Friday against Arizona.