By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders
WILKES-BARRE, Penn. (November 16, 2024) – Brian Pinho scored his team-leading 10th goal and added two assists for a season-high three points on Saturday, propelling the Bridgeport Islanders (4-9-1-1), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, to a 5-2 win against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (8-4-1-0) at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Liam Foudy broke a 2-2 tie with his second goal in four games at 13:11 of the third period, scoring on one of his team-best eight shots, which matched a career-high. Julien Gauthier opened the scoring with an early power-play goal, while Cole Bardreau put the game to bed with two empty-netters 32 seconds apart.
It marks the fourth straight game and the seventh time this season that the Islanders have registered at least four goals in a contest.
Marcus Hogberg (1-3-2) made 29 saves to earn his first win as an Islander. He has helped Bridgeport earn points in three of his last four starts (1-0-2).
The Penguins took two penalties before the game was seven minutes old, and the Islanders cashed in on the second one courtesy of Gauthier. He skated to the doorstep and dropped his stick to the ice as Justin Gill snapped a firm pass from the right circle onto Gauthier’s tape for a one-time redirection. The puck beat goaltender Joel Blomqvist (0-1-0) stick side at 8:24.
Pinho made it 2-0 early in the second period when he placed a dart over Blomqvist’s waving glove from the top of the left circle. Pinho crossed the blue line and crawled above the circle, dragging and snapping a shot through Gauthier’s flash screen in front. Pinho’s ten goals are currently tied for second most in the AHL. Gauthier recorded the only assist at the 3:55 mark.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton answered with the following two goals to draw back even. Raivis Ansons cut the deficit in half with a one-time blast from the left side, teed up by Jagger Joshua at 11:15 of the second. Tristan Broz followed with his seventh goal in 13 games just 1:44 into the third. Aidan Fulp stood up Avery Hayes shortly after a faceoff in the left circle, but the puck came to Broz nearby, who lit the lamp and now leads all AHL rookies in goals.
The Penguins continued to threaten through the initial stages of the third period, at one point outshooting Bridgeport 6-1. Still, Chris Terry put a forceful centering pass on Foudy’s tape at the doorstep for the eventual game-winner at 13:11. It extended Foudy’s point streak to a season-high four games (two goals, two assists), while Fulp recorded the secondary helper.
Bardreau’s first two goals of the season came 32 seconds apart through a vacant crease for the 5-2 final. Pinho assisted on both, including the last one within the final minute, in which Pinho skated the puck to the front before unselfishly handing it off to Bardreau.
The Islanders outshot Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 34-31. Bridgeport went 1-for-5 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, finishing the weekend a perfect 9-for-9 on the kill.
The Islanders improved to 1-0-0-1 against the Penguins this season and have pieced together a winning streak for the first time in 2024-25.
Next Time Out: The Islanders end a three-game road trip Friday night with a 7:05 p.m. rematch against the Penguins at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. 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 6:45 p.m.
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