By: Lauren McQuillan, Howlings
BRIDGEPORT, CT—The Bridgeport Islanders dropped a 5-1 decision to their intrastate rival Hartford Wolf Pack behind five goal scorers in the team’s first home preseason game. Justin Gill scored the lone Islanders goal in his debut for the AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders.
Maxim Barbashev scored what would prove to be the game-winner when he made it 2-0 at 13:56 of the first period. Bryce McConnell-Barker brought the puck into the Islanders’ zone along the right wing and made a cross-ice pass in front to Barashev, who potted the goal past the Islanders’ Henrik Tikkanen. For Barbashev, it was his second goal in the preseason.
The Islanders’ roster was filled with newcomers attempting to make the team, many of whom came out of the NCAA, joining plenty of returning familiar faces.
Alex Jefferies returns to Bridgeport for his first full AHL season with the Islanders after signing an ATO and completing his senior hockey season with Merrimack. Jefferies, in speaking of his personal goals for his upcoming debut season, said, “(I’m) just going to try and work on the things coaches are preaching to me; just try and be the best player I can be each day and hope that I keep getting better.”
Other rookies looking to make the AHL roster include Austin Heidemann, who spent two years at Mercyhurst and two years at RPI before playing last season for the Islanders’ ECHL affiliates, the Worcester Railers. Heidemann is on Worcester’s 2024-2025 protected list.
Last season, Heidemann’s Worcester teammate, Mason Klee, played four years at RPI and then a fifth at Ohio State. He is also on Worcester’s protected roster for 2024-2025.
Cam Thiesing joined them after spending three years at The Ohio State University. Thiesing left the Buckeyes a year early, signing a two-way, entry-level contract with NY Isles this past March to play in the AHL.
The Wolf Pack struck first at 11:36 of the first period. Alex Belzile was in front of the Islander’s net, found the puck, controlled it, and then went forehand-to-backhand to net his second goal of the preseason past Tikkanen. Helpers on the tally went to Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Nathan Sucese.
It took just 2:20 for the Wolfpack to tally Barbashev’s game-winner at 13:56. Barbashev received help from McConnell-Barker and Blade Jankins. Barbashev’s goal was scored from right outside of the faceoff dot.
The Wolfpack ended their first period, scoring a third goal from Jake Leschyshyn at 15:27 off assists from Anton Blidh and Adam Erne as a result of a perfectly executed “Give and Go.”
The Wolf Pack tallied the three goals in a span of just 3:51.
The Islanders scored their only goal of the night five minutes into the second period off the stick of newcomer Gill. Helpers on the Gill goal came from Jefferies and Isaiah George.
In a rare for the Pack preseason, they earned a 5-on-3 power play. And Bo Groulz made the Islanders pay by tallying a one-timer from the right-wing side.
Pack would tack on a fifth goal when Belzile set up Groulx off a cross-ice pass, and the three-goal lead was reestablished.
The Wolf Pack home-opener for the 2024-25 schedule begins on Friday, Oct. 18, at the XL Center against the Springfield Thunderbirds! The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
The third period was filled with physicality and penalties from both teams. Over half of the game’s penalties were in the third period, with each team getting four penalties.
The Wolfpack began the third period on the penalty kill, and shortly after the third period began, the Wolfpack’s Jake Leschyshyn was called for interference.
The game briefly paused as a fight occurred between the Islanders’ Justin Gill and Wolfpack’s Anton Blidh. Gill was given a roughing penalty, while Blidh was given a roughing and high-sticking penalty.
The lone third-period goal was a Wolfpack goal from Benoit-Olivier Groulx, assisted by Alex Belzile and Casey Fitzgerald.
After being outshot by the Wolfpack 33-24, Jeffries was calm and collected in analyzing where the Islanders are currently in their season’s preparation process. “A lot of things we can improve on for sure, just system-wise and getting cohesion playing together.” It’s a lot for a group of young players to find chemistry. “Playing with some of the new guys, new systems, (I) thought we did some good things, but we got a lot to work on.”
The Islanders start their 2024-2025 season looking for a win against the Providence Bruins on Saturday at 7 pm.
Jeffries put it all in perspective. “(We need to) just move forward and try and get off to a good start next weekend.”
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