Military Appreciation Night Headlines Busy Weekend Series
January 13, 2017 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
Sound Tigers conclude five-game road trip tonight in Binghamton, N.Y. before returning home to face Utica tomorrow
DATE TIME OPPONENT FOLLOW
Fri, Jan. 13 7:05 p.m. @ Binghamton Senators Watch/Listen - Twitter
Sat, Jan. 14 7 p.m. vs. Utica Comets Watch/Listen - Twitter
Sun, Jan. 15 3:05 p.m. @ Providence Bruins Watch/Listen - Twitter
BINGHAMTON, N.Y.- After six days off, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (18-14-0-1) return to action this weekend with a three-game series against the Binghamton Senators (14-18-2-1), Utica Comets (13-16-5-1) and Providence Bruins (21-8-4-3). Tonight, the Sound Tigers conclude a five-game road trip with their final meeting against the Binghamton Senators this season. Bridgeport is looking to build off of a 2-1 win against the Hartford Wolf Pack last Saturday that snapped an 11-game winless in regulation drought dating back to Dec. 4. Bracken Kearns and Michael Dal Colle each scored against the Wolf Pack, the latter recording his first goal since Nov. 20 against the B-Sens. Between the pipes, former NHL All-Star Jaroslav Halak made 14 saves in 38:59 to earn his first AHL win since Feb. 24, 2008.
MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT
The Sound Tigers will honor the heroes of the United States military, both past and present, on Saturday with Military Appreciation Night presented by the Better Business Bureau. The first 1,500 fans inside Webster Bank Arena will receive a camouflage bomber hat and the Sound Tigers will wear special edition uniforms during the game, which will be auctioned off to the public. In addition, all active duty personnel and veterans can receive a free ticket to the contest at the Webster Bank Arena Click It or Ticket Box Office by showing a valid I.D.
TIGERS VS. B-SENS
Tonight's game marks the fourth and final meeting between the Sound Tigers and Senators this season, and the second of two matchups in New York. Bridgeport is 3-0-0-0 against the B-Sens this year, but two of the three games have ended in overtime, including their last tilt on Dec. 10. Defenseman Devon Toews was the hero that night with his first career game-winner, while Andrew Rowe scored twice in regulation. The Senators have not beaten the Sound Tigers since Jan. 17, 2014.
VIEW FROM BINGHAMTON
The Senators have won nine of their last 14 games including a 3-2 victory over the league's best team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, on New Year's Eve. However, the club enters tonight's contest on the heels of a 5-4 loss to the Penguins on Saturday. Four skaters scored for Binghamton including Casey Bailey (team-leading 10th goal) and Phil Varone (team-leading 20th point), but goaltender Chris Driedger allowed five goals on 39 shots. The Senators currently rank sixth in the North Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference. The club opens a three-game weekend series tonight.
TIGERS VS. COMETS
Saturday's game marks the first of four meetings between the Sound Tigers and Comets this season, and the first of two matchups at Webster Bank Arena. Bridgeport went 2-0-0-0 against Utica last season.
VIEW FROM UTICA
The Comets enter the weekend in fifth place in the North Division standings following a 2-1 overtime victory against the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday. Alexandre Grenier scored for the fifth straight game at 4:34 of the second period and Darren Archibald notched the overtime winner with his 10th goal of the season. Overall, Grenier has a team-best 12 tallies this year, tied with first-year forward Curtis Valk, who is also fifth among AHL rookies in goals and tied for seventh with 24 points. The Comets face the Providence Bruins tonight before traveling to Bridgeport on Saturday.
TIGERS VS. BRUINS
Sunday's game will mark the third of 12 meetings between the Sound Tigers and Bruins this season, and the second of six matchups at Dunkin' Donuts Center. The series is currently knotted at 1-1-0-0 following the Sound Tigers' 3-2 setback on Dec. 16. Ben Holmstrom and Tanner Fritz each scored for Bridgeport, but the Bruins bounced back with three goals in the final five minutes to grab the win. Eight of the 12 meetings between the two clubs will take place after the All-Star break, including four tilts in the month of February. Bridgeport went 6-3-1-0 against the Bruins last season.
HEY NOW, YOU'RE AN ALL STAR
On Jan. 5, New York Islanders prospect Devon Toews was named to the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic, which will be held Jan. 29-30 at the PPL Center in Allentown, Penn. The first-year defenseman leads Bridgeport with 18 assists and is second on the club with 22 points heading into tonight's contest. Toews is also tied for fourth among all AHL rookies in assists and tied for 10 among league defensemen in points. The Quinnipiac University product was drafted in the fourth round (#108 overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Islanders.
THOMPSON'S BENCHMARK
Brent Thompson is closing in on the team record for most wins by a head coach in Sound Tigers history. His 127 career victories rank second on the team's all-time wins list, trailing current New York Islanders head coach Jack Capuano by six (133). Thompson has coached more games in Bridgeport (261) than any other bench boss, including Capuano (255).
KEEPING IT CLOSE
More than half of Bridgeport's games this season have ended with a one-goal differential (18-of-33), including each of their last three contests. In addition, five of the club's last seven games have been separated by just one tally. The Sound Tigers are 11-6-0-1 in one-goal outcomes this season, but just 7-8-0-0 in all other scenarios. The only team's with more one-goal games in the AHL this season are the Utica Comets (21), St. John's IceCaps (20) and Ontario Reign (20).
QUICK HITS
Steve Bernier is fifth in the AHL in shooting percentage (23.9-percent)... Jon Landry leads the team with a plus-11 rating... Bridgeport is 6-2-0-0 against North Division opponents, but 12-12-0-1 in the tough Atlantic... The Sound Tigers lead the league with six shorthanded goals scored on the road.
AFFILIATE REPORT
NHL: New York Islanders (15-16-8): Next at Florida - Tonight, 7:30 p.m. ET
ECHL: Missouri Mavericks (13-16-1-4): Next at Wichita - Tomorrow, 8:05 p.m. ET
American Hockey League Stories from January 13, 2017
- Wild Corrals Third Straight Win with 4-1 Victory in San Antonio - Iowa Wild
- Comets Prevail in Regulation against Bruins - Utica Comets
- Hartford Wolf Pack 2, St. John's IceCaps 1 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Wolf Pack Nip IceCaps 2-1 in OT - St. John's IceCaps
- Rockford Faces Gulls for First-Ever Meeting - Rockford IceHogs
- Let It Fly Friday Night in Condorstown Tonight at 7 p.m. - Bakersfield Condors
- Reign and Barracuda Battle for Top Spot - Ontario Reign
- Girard Traded to Colorado - Milwaukee Admirals
- Military Appreciation Night Headlines Busy Weekend Series - Bridgeport Islanders
- Heat Start Back-To-Back in Bakersfield at 7:00 p.m. - Stockton Heat
- Avalanche Acquire Felix Girard from Predators - San Antonio Rampage
- Jets Recall Melchiori; Place Laine on IR - Manitoba Moose
- Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Erik Condra, Syracuse Crunch Sign David Pacan to PTO - Syracuse Crunch
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