Halak has quickly earned the respect and admiration of younger teammates with the Sound Tigers, who are fourth in the Atlantic Division at 25-15-1-1. Halak has allowed only five goals in his last four games, including a 1-0 victory over Providence on Jan. 25. The Sound Tigers resume their schedule Friday against Rochester.

“He’s one of the best goalies in the world,” said left wing Michael Dal Colle, 20, the fifth overall pick by the Islanders in 2014. “Having a goalie like that playing for us, it’s going to help. There’s no other way to put it.”

On Saturday, Halak denied Lehigh Valley’s points leader, Jordan Weal, with a glove save early in the game. Late in the contest, he made a pad save on the Phantoms’ leading goal scorer, Greg Carey, and smothered a game-ending flurry near his crease.

“This is a really great group of guys,” Halak said. “They work hard every night, and it’s fun playing for them. You don’t really get to meet these guys in training camp. Now that I’m getting to know them better, you see we’re all on the same path. They have been really great taking me in.”

For Sounds Tigers Coach Brent Thompson, who passed Capuano for career wins (134) with Bridgeport with the victory over the Phantoms, having a veteran goaltender of Halak’s pedigree has provided a boost to his roster.

“At the end of the day, he’s a hockey player, and he wants to compete,” said Thompson, previously an assistant with the Islanders and now in his second stint as the Sound Tigers’ coach. “The way he approaches practices, you see his focus. The way he approaches games, it’s outstanding. The guys see it.”