ISLANDERS JUMPED OVER BY CHECKERS
By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (October 25, 2024) – The Bridgeport Islanders (1-4-1-0), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, dropped the front end of a weekend doubleheader against the Charlotte Checkers (4-1-0-0) by an 8-2 final at Bojangles Coliseum on Friday.
Brian Pinho (PPG) scored his third goal in six games, and Chris Terry scored his 800th professional point in the setback. Hudson Fasching also scored.
The Islanders and Checkers will rematch at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Bridgeport’s special teams got off to a good start, killing its first penalty and then taking a 1-0 lead when Pinho notched a power-play goal at 15:52 of the first period. Sam Bolduc received the puck off William Dufour’s stick and sent a long wrist shot towards the net from above the left circle. Pinho wisely skated to the doorstep and deflected Bolduc’s shot past goaltender Chris Driedger (3-0-0) for his third goal of the season. All three goals (one of the power play and two shorthanded) have come on special teams.
Charlotte tied the game 34 seconds later and scored each of the following seven goals to put the game away quickly. Sandis Vilmanis squeezed a backhand shot from the right circle past Jakub Skarek (1-2-0) at the 16:26 mark before the Checkers recorded five goals on 11 shots in the second period. Two of them came on the power play. More damage could have been done, but Skarek outlasted Rasmus Asplund on a penalty-shot attempt.
The Islanders swapped Skarek for Marcus Hogberg (no decision) to begin the third period, and Charlotte scored two more times – once on the power play and once shorthanded. Hudson Fasching sent home Bridgeport’s final tally at 16:54 of third on a feed from Terry, who recorded his 800th pro point between the NHL, AHL, and KHL.
The Islanders went 1-for-6 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.
Next Time Out: The Islanders return to Bojangles Coliseum for a 6 p.m. rematch tomorrow night. The game can be seen live on AHLTV on FloHockey or heard for free via the Bridgeport Islanders Radio Network.
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