The Bridgeport Report: Week 10
December 11, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL) - Bridgeport Islanders News Release
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Otto Koivula extended his goal-scoring streak to three games and Sebastian Aho collected a trio of assists last week as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (14-8-3-1), proud AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, split a two-game series within the division.
In fact, the Sound Tigers are in the midst of a season-long, 17-game stretch against Atlantic Division rivals. That streak continued on Wednesday when the Sound Tigers hosted the Hartford Wolf Pack at Webster Bank Arena and earned a 2-1 victory. Koivula and Chris Bourque, who scored the game-winner midway through the third period, each found the back of the net, while Aho dished out two assists and now ranks second on the team with 15 helpers. In net, Jeremy Smith (7-5-1) was stellar and backstopped the hard-fought effort with 25 saves on 26 shots.
With the victory, the Sound Tigers extended their unbeaten in regulation streak at Webster Bank Arena to 12 games (9-0-2-1) - one shy of the franchise record, which they will look to tie this Saturday.
Koivula stayed hot Saturday afternoon and scored his fourth goal in the last three games, but the Sound Tigers allowed three goals in the third period and suffered a 3-1 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. The Islanders' fourth-round draft choice in 2016 now has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in his last 15 games and has climbed to third on the team in goal-scoring. Aho and Bourque both assisted on Bridgeport's lone tally, while Smith stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced.
Bridgeport is second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference entering its fourth "three-games-in-three-days" series this weekend. The Sound Tigers will visit Dunkin' Donuts Center this Friday to battle Boston's affiliate, the Providence Bruins (11-10-4-0) at 7:05 p.m., before returning home for a Saturday-Sunday doubleheader. Bridgeport will face the Springfield Thunderbirds (13-7-2-2) on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (12-10-3-1) again this Sunday at 3 p.m.
Fans can follow all of the action online via the Sound Tigers Radio Network and AHLTV, beginning with the pre-game show 15 minutes before each listed start time.
The week ahead:
Friday, Dec. 14 at Providence Bruins (7:05 p.m.): The Sound Tigers face the Bruins for the sixth time this season and their third trip to Rhode Island's capital. Bridgeport is 2-2-1-0 against Providence thus far, but the Bruins have earned a point in all five meetings (3-0-2-0) and have won both matchups at Dunkin' Donuts Center in regulation. Three of the five meetings have gone to overtime, including their last tilt on Dec. 1, in which Ryan Fitzgerald ended the game on a penalty shot at 3:04 of the extra session.
Saturday, Dec. 15 vs. Springfield Thunderbirds (7:05 p.m.): Bridgeport hosts the Florida Panthers' affiliate for the third time this season, which also begins one of the clubs newest promotions at Webster Bank Arena: Holiday Gift Weekend. With the purchase of a ticket, you're automatically entered to win some of the biggest prize giveaways this season like a VIP suite to an upcoming game, Sound Tigers apparel, team signed items, or goodies from our local partners. In addition, take pictures with Santa and Ms. Claus during each home game this weekend. Great seats are on sale now!
Sunday, Dec. 16 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (3:05 p.m.): The Sound Tigers host the Penguins for the second time this season, and their second meeting in eight days. The series is knotted at 1-1-0-0 following Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's 3-1 win at home last Sunday. Bridgeport took the first matchup on Nov. 4 at home, 8-5, in which Michael Dal Colle and Kieffer Bellows scored twice and Josh Ho-Sang tied a franchise record with four assists.
News and Notes:
Close Calls: The Sound Tigers have been involved in 16 one-goal games this season, which leads the Eastern Conference and is tied for most in the AHL with the Iowa Wild and Milwaukee Admirals. Bridgeport is 10-2-3-1 when games are decided by just one tally.
Knowing How To Finnish: New York Islanders prospect Otto Koivula has seven goals and 13 points in his last 15 games, including two more goals last week. The Nokia, Finland native has played left wing, right wing, and most recently, center, during his first season in North America and trails only Steve Bernier and Michael Dal Colle in goals (Bridgeport is 5-1-0-0 when he scores in a game). Koivula, the Sound Tigers' youngest player at 20-years-old, also leads the team with a plus-6 rating.
Off on the Right Foot: The Sound Tigers struck first in both games last week and have now recorded the opening goal in three straight contests. In fact, Bridgeport has scored first 26 times this season (tied for fourth-most in the AHL) and continues to be one of the league's strongest teams early in games. The club's 30 first-period goals are tied for third in the AHL and the Sound Tigers are currently 11-2-0-1 when scoring first. Michael Dal Colle leads the club with five goals in first periods, while five of Otto Koivula's seven goals have come in the first 20 minutes of a game.
Gibson Returned by Islanders: Christopher Gibson was returned on loan by the Islanders Sunday after making his NHL season debut in relief on Thursday. Gibson made six saves on seven shots in 20 minutes of work against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the AHL, Gibson is 4-0-3 in his last seven starts with a 1.94 goals-against-average and .933 save percentage over his last four games. The 2018 AHL All-Star ranks fourth in both wins (51) and games played (100) on Bridgeport's all-time goaltending lists.
Quick Hits : Steve Bernier is tied for the league-lead with seven power-play goals... Jeremy Smith is 16th among AHL goaltenders with a 2.82 goals-against-average... Sebastian Aho (two goals, 15 assists) and Devon Toews (five goals, 12 assists) are tied for 10th among league defensemen with 17 points... The Sound Tigers are 13 for their last 13 on the penalty kill... Josh Ho-Sang, Bridgeport's leading scorer with 22 points (two goals, 20 assists), was recalled by the Islanders on Sunday... Ho-Sang is third in the AHL in helpers... Michael Dal Colle becomes the Sound Tigers' leading scorer among active AHL players with 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 21 games.
Team Leaders
Goals: Steve Bernier (10)
Assists: Josh Ho-Sang (20)*
Points: Josh Ho-Sang (22)*
Plus/Minus: Otto Koivula (+6)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Burroughs (55)
Power-play goals: Steve Bernier (7)
Shots: Chris Bourque (69)
Wins: Christopher Gibson, Jeremy Smith (7)
*Currently playing with the New York Islanders (NHL)
Affiliate Report
The New York Islanders (14-11-4) scored three unanswered goals and rallied on the road to beat the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. Former Sound Tigers led the way, as Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Ryan Pulock all found the back of the net and helped the Isles climb to third place in the Metropolitan Division. Last night, New York returned to NYCB Live on Long Island and collected one point, but fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout. Former Sound Tiger Josh Bailey leads the Islanders in scoring with 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) in 29 games, while Anders Lee has 22 points and a team-best 11 goals. The club returns to Barclays Center on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The ECHL's Worcester Railers H.C. (10-11-3-0) saw their five-game point streak come to an end on Sunday with a 4-2 loss to the Maine Marines at Cross Arena in Portland. Nick Sorkin, who attended training camp with the Sound Tigers in October, scored twice in the third period to give the Railers hope, while former Sound Tigers Matt Gaudreau, David Quenneville and Mike Cornell all gathered an assist (Cornell is tied for the team-lead with 11 helpers). Ryan Hitchcock produced a game-high nine shots on goal in the setback. Worcester returns to action on Wednesday with a 7:05 p.m. matchup against the Manchester Monarchs at the DCU Center.
Packed Promotional Lineup: The Sound Tigers will boast one of their most extensive and wide-ranging promotional schedules ever for the 2018-19 season. The fan-friendly calendar includes the return of popular themes like Military Appreciation (Jan. 12), Star Wars Night (Jan. 19), Princess Night (Mar. 30) and Hockey and Hops (Mar. 17). Regional hockey fans will be elated for the addition of Hockey Weekend in Connecticut (Feb. 23-24), while another new headliner is Holiday Gift Weekend (Dec. 15-16). View the full 2018-19 promotional schedule .
For additional details or to reserve a group outing for any giveaway or theme night, please call the Sound Tigers' front office at (203) 345-2300 ext 7.
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