Sound Tigers Continue Homestand this Weekend
February 3, 2017 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
BRIDGEPORT, Conn.- The Bridgeport Sound Tigers (25-15-1-1) will look to continue their winning ways this weekend when they host the Rochester Americans (19-24-0-2) and Springfield Thunderbirds (16-19-6-2) at Webster Bank Arena. The Sound Tigers are coming off their season-best seventh straight victory last Saturday with a 3-2 win against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Josh Winquist scored his third goal in two games, while Steve Bernier and Travis St. Denis also found the back of the net. Between the pipes, Jaroslav Halak earned his fifth straight win in his third consecutive start with 29 saves. The Sound Tigers have not won eight straight games since Jan. 20, 2017 - Feb. 13, 2017.
TIGERS VS. AMERKS
Tonight's game marks the second of four meetings between the Sound Tigers and Americans this year, and the final matchup at Webster Bank Arena. Bridgeport leads the series 1-0-0-0 following a 3-1 victory just 12 days ago. Josh Ho-Sang stole the show with a pair of goals on his 21st birthday, while Stephon Williams backstopped the win with 29 saves. The Sound Tigers went 1-0-1-0 against Rochester last season, with both contests ending in overtime.
VIEW FROM ROCHESTER
The Americans have dropped three of their last four games and enter tonight's contest in the basement of the North Division. However, Rochester earned a 5-3 win against the Albany Devils last Saturday, led by two-point efforts from Tim Kennedy (one goal, one assist) and Alex Nylander (two assists). All-Star forward Cole Schneider also scored his 16th goal of the season and now ranks fifth in the AHL with 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists). Between the pipes, All-Star goaltender Linus Ullmark leads the league in saves (988) and minutes played (1989:10), and is fourth in wins (17). Rochester is in the middle of a three-game road trip that wraps up tomorrow night in Hartford.
TIGERS VS. T-BIRDS
Saturday's game will mark the eighth of 12 meetings between the Sound Tigers and Thunderbirds this season, and the fourth of six matchups at Webster Bank Arena. Bridgeport has logged points in five of the previous seven meetings (4-2-0-1), including a 5-3 victory in their last tilt on Jan. 20. The Sound Tigers' top line of Bracken Kearns (two goals, one assist), Steve Bernier (one goal, two assists) and Andrew Rowe (one goal, two assists) combined for nine points that night, while Jaroslav Halak made 25 saves to backstop the win.
VIEW FROM SPRINGFIELD
Geordie Kinnear's club has dropped back-to-back games and is winless in regulation since Jan. 6, a span of 11 straight contests. The Thunderbirds are sixth in the Atlantic Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference, coming off a 4-2 loss to the Hershey Bears on Saturday. Tim Bozon and Jayce Hawryluk each scored to put Springfield up 2-1 early in the second period, but the Bears responded with three unanswered goals. Forward Chase Balisy was quiet offensively, but continues to pace the club with 16 assists and 23 points. In addition, the T-Birds got reinforcements from their NHL affiliate, the Florida Panthers, this week, adding forward Jared McCann and defenseman Dylan McIlrath who were both returned on loan Wednesday.
THOMPSON BECOMES #1
Brent Thompson became the Sound Tigers' all-time winningest head coach last Saturday when he recorded his 134th career victory behind the team's bench. Thompson, 46, is in his fourth season with the Sound Tigers and his sixth campaign with the New York Islanders organization. He is 134-110-25 as Bridgeport's head coach, passing Jack Capuano's 133 career wins from 2007-11.
KEEPING IT CLOSE
Each of the Sound Tigers' last 12 games have been decided by two goals or less, a stretch that dates back to the team's 3-2 loss to the Albany Devils on New Year's Day. In addition, Bridgeport's last three games have all been decided by just one goal. The Sound Tigers are 15-6-1-1 in one-goal outcomes and 6-4-0-0 in two-goal games this season.
USAIN WHO?
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt may be known as the "fastest man alive," but Sound Tigers defenseman Devon Toews claimed fastest skater honors at Sunday's AHL All-Star Classic Skills Competition in Allentown, Penn. The 22-year-old rookie completed a lap in 13.478 seconds, the second fastest time ever recorded in the competition's history. Chris Summers, now of the Hartford Wolf Pack, holds the all-time record with a lap of 13.324 seconds in 2013.
WINQUIST HEATS UP
Third-year forward Josh Winquist was tabbed as the "second star of the game" in each of Bridgeport's contests last weekend. On Friday, Winquist scored twice for the second time this season before netting his eighth goal of the year on Saturday. The Alberta native is tied for fourth on the Sound Tigers in goals despite playing just 21 games. Josh Ho-Sang assisted on all three of Winquist's tallies last week.
QUICK HITS
Jaroslav Halak went 3-0-0 with a 1.27 goals-against-average and .947 save percentage in three games last week, his last three starts... Bracken Kearns is tied for 17th in the AHL with 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists)... Steve Bernier is tied for second in the league with nine power-play goals... Travis St. Denis leads Bridgeport with four game-winning goals, which also places him in a tie for the league lead among rookies... Devon Toews is tied for second among AHL rookies with 22 assists.
SOUPER BOWL OF CARING
Bring 10 or more canned goods, cutlery, or paper goods to Saturday's game against the Springfield Thunderbirds and receive a free ticket to a future Sound Tigers game. In addition, it's another AAA Discount Night. Receive $2.00 off your game ticket at the box office when you show your AAA Membership Card. Cannot be combined with any other offer.
AFFILIATE REPORT
NHL: New York Islanders (22-17-9): Next at Detroit - Tonight, 7:30 p.m. ET
ECHL: Missouri Mavericks (18-19-2-5): Next vs. Wichita - Tonight, 8:30 p.m. ET
For details on the Sound Tigers' 16th season in the American Hockey League or to reserve seats for any of the 2016-17 giveaway and theme nights, please call the team's front office at (203) 345-2300.
Executive suites and premium seat packages are also available by calling the team's front office at (203) 345-4841. If you are interested in group outings with your friends, family, co-workers, or clients an unforgettable experience at a discounted rate, call the group sales hotline at (203) 345-2300 Ext. 7.
American Hockey League Stories from February 3, 2017
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- Comets Suffer Regulation Loss in Hartford - Utica Comets
- P-Bruins Kick off February with 3-1 Win over Springfield - Providence Bruins
- Iowa Still Streaking, Beats Defending Champs 3-0 - Iowa Wild
- Amerks Partner With Mcdonald's To Host Family Nights - Rochester Americans
- Condors Home Tonight at 7 p.m. against Stockton - Bakersfield Condors
- Griffins Host Manitoba on Winning Wednesday - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Landon Bow Assigned to ECHL - Texas Stars
- Chicago Wolves Welcome Cubs' World Series Trophy on February 12 - Chicago Wolves
- Stockton Plays Tonight in Bakersfield, Returns Home Tomorrow - Stockton Heat
- Reign and Gulls Collide on Pink in the Rink Tonight - Ontario Reign
- Rangers Assign Magnus Hellberg to Hartford - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Sound Tigers Continue Homestand this Weekend - Bridgeport Islanders
- IceCaps Release Forward John McCarron from PTO - St. John's IceCaps
- Barnes, Mosey Assigned to Indy Fuel - Rockford IceHogs
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