Weekend Preview: Islanders vs. Bruins
Jan 26, 2024
THE STORY COMING IN
The Bridgeport Islanders (11-22-5-0) face the Providence Bruins (23-13-3-2) in a home-and-home series this weekend, which begins Friday night at 7:05 p.m. inside Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Atlantic Division rivals tangle again on Saturday with a 7 p.m. rematch at Total Mortgage Arena. Last time out, the Islanders suffered a 2-1 overtime loss in Providence on Sunday, despite William Dufour’s 10th goal of the season just 3:48 into the first period. John Beecher tied the game for the Bruins early in the second period and Mason Lohrei’s first AHL goal was the overtime winner. Henrik Tikkanen (3-2-1) made 30 saves.
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GAME AT A GLANCE
Friday’s game is the ninth of 12 meetings between the Islanders and Bruins this season, and the fifth of six in Rhode Island. Bridgeport is 1-6-1-0 against Boston’s affiliate and has lost six straight including Sunday’s setback in overtime. The Islanders are 0-3-1-0 at Amica Mutual Pavilion this season. Bruins forward Anthony Richard leads all players in the series with nine points (six goals, three assists) in seven appearances.
VIEW FROM PROVIDENCE
The second-place Bruins are 9-1-1-0 in their last 11 games entering a three-in-three weekend series. Providence is two points ahead of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and 15 points behind Hershey. AHL All-Star Georgii Merkulov has a team-leading 16 goals and 35 points in 36 games, and shares ninth in the league’s scoring race. He has points in five of his last six games (three goals, four assists). Anthony Richard has 10 goals and 18 points in his last 12 games. Between the pipes, Michael DiPietro (11-6-0) is ninth in the AHL with a 2.45 GAA and is a perfect 5-0-0 in five games against Bridgeport this season. The Bruins face the Islanders tonight and tomorrow before hosting the Charlotte Checkers on Sunday afternoon.
DUFFMAN
William Dufour had the Islanders’ lone goal in Providence last Sunday, a one-timer from the right circle that beat Brandon Bussi on Bridgeport’s first shot of the afternoon. Dufour has four goals in his last six games and ranks second on the team with 10 goals this season, three behind Ruslan Iskhakov. He is second on the team in shooting percentage (10-for-65, 12.3%) and leads all Bridgeport players with six power-play goals.
CLOSE CALLS CONTINUE
Thirteen of the Islanders’ last 15 games have been decided by just one goal, including 11 in a row from Dec. 16th through Jan. 13th. Bridgeport has played 22 games that have come down to a single goal, most in the AHL. The Islanders are 9-8-5-0 in one-goal games and all but eight of their contests this season have been decided by two goals or fewer. Bridgeport has been to overtime on 12 occasions (7-5) and five times in their last eight.
TWO DEBUTS IN TWO DAYS
A pair of Islanders broke into the lineup for the first time last weekend, as Carsen Twarynski made his Bridgeport debut on Saturday night and Ashton Calder made his AHL debut on Sunday. Twarynski, who signed an AHL contact on Jan. 8th, had two shots-on-goal and an even rating in his 250th AHL game between Lehigh Valley, Charlotte, Coachella Valley, and Bridgeport. Calder, who had a team-leading 14 goals and 33 points in 34 ECHL games with the Worcester Railers to begin the season, notched one shot-on-goal in Providence.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (20-17-11): Last: 4-3 L at Montreal, last night -- Next: Tomorrow vs. Florida, 7:30 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (17-16-3-2): Last: 5-3 L at Fort Wayne, Sunday -- Next: Tonight vs. Norfolk, 7:05 p.m. ET