By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 1, 2024) – Brian Pinho continued his red-hot scoring streak by collecting a goal for the fifth straight game on Friday, helping the Bridgeport Islanders (2-5-1-1), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders to a dominant 4-1 win against the Springfield Thunderbirds (3-6-0-0) at MassMutual Center.
Pinho scored his sixth goal of the season with 13 seconds left in the middle frame, tying his career-long goal streak (five games) and setting the AHL’s new longest streak of the season. He added an assist on Isaiah George’s first professional goal in the third, while Chris Terry and Alex Jefferies also finished the night with multiple points (two assists).
Fredrik Karlstrom scored his fifth goal in the last six games at 12:01 of the second, a power-play tally that served as the go-ahead goal and eventual game-winner. Between the pipes, Jakub Skarek (2-2-0) made 23 saves.
Bridgeport’s first win on the road this season snapped a three-game slide.
The Islanders began the night with one goal on one shot, as Wyatt Newpower beat goaltender Vadim Zherenko (1-3-0) with a long-distance wrister just 2:27 into the game. Cam Thiesing pushed the puck to Newpower above the right circle, where the defenseman floated a shot off the post and in. Thiesing recorded his first pro point with the primary assist, while Samuel Bolduc extended his point streak to four games (one goal, three assists) with the secondary helper.
The Thunderbirds answered 44 seconds later when rookie Dalibor Dvorsky solved Skarek in tight for his fourth goal of the season at the 3:11 mark. It came on Springfield’s third shot of the night, but Skarek was perfect after that.
Bridgeport scored twice on 16 shots in the second period, including Karlstrom’s game-winner at 12:01. With Leo Loof in the box for high-sticking, Jefferies and Terry executed a masterful sequence of tic-tac-toe passes on the power play, and Karlstrom tapped home Jefferies’ diagonal back-door feed to make it 2-1.
Pinho pushed the lead to 3-1 with 13 seconds left in the period by driving down the left side, turning defenseman Corey Schueneman inside out, and flipping a forehand finish past Zherenko’s blocker.
George completed a brilliant team effort for the Islanders with his first pro goal in the final five minutes. Jefferies threw the puck on the net before Terry and Pinho each got touches during a scramble near the crease. The puck ultimately crawled up the slot, where George fired home his milestone goal from just above the left hash marks.
The Islanders went 1-for-2 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. Bridgeport outshot Springfield 35-24, ending the game one shot shy of a season-best.
Next Time Out: The Islanders return to MassMutual Center next Wednesday morning for a 10:35 a.m. rematch and the second of a three-game road trip. The game can be heard for free via the Bridgeport Islanders Radio Network or seen live on AHLTV on FloHockey, beginning with the Connecticut Lottery Pregame Countdown at 10:15 a.m.
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