By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (December 13, 2024) – The Bridgeport Islanders (5-16-2-2), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, could not recover from allowing four goals in the first period on Friday and suffered a 5-3 loss to the Providence Bruins (13-10-2-0) at Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Marc Gatcomb, Brian Pinho, and Alex Jefferies each found the back of the net, but the Islanders fell for a seventh consecutive game (0-6-1-0) and third straight on the road (0-2-1-0). Henrik Tikkanen (0-3-0) made 28 saves.
Jefferies extended his point streak to a career-long six games (three goals, five assists), and Pinho scored a goal for the third straight contest. Cole Bardreau had a team-high of two points and two assists.
Matt Poitras beat Tikkanen on a rebound near the crease just 1:38 into the contest to put the Bruins ahead 1-0, a lead they would not surrender. It marked the fifth consecutive game with a goal for the 20-year-old Poitras, who sparked a four-goal first period for Providence. Fabian Lysell made it 2-0 just 2:33 later before Mason Millman and Patrick Brown (PP) added goals in the final minutes.
Wedged in between those tallies was Gatcomb’s eighth goal of the season for the Islanders, which came 10:01 into the contest. Gatcomb drove to the net as Liam Foudy quickly carried the puck over the Bruins’ line before firing a shot off the pads of goaltender Brandon Bussi (5-6-0). Gatcomb stuffed home the rebound from the doorstep.
Pinho cut the deficit to 4-2 with a power-play goal at 4:11 of the second period, his third goal in as many games and his team-leading 14th of the season. It was also his team-best fourth goal on the man advantage, which came on a rebound between the circles after Calle Odelius failed to get a shot through traffic from the point. Pinho’s 14 goals are tied for fourth in the AHL.
Max Jones skated to the net and tapped home John Farinacci’s remarkable pass from the right wing to make it 5-2 just 1:04 into the third. It remained that way for most of a chippy period until Jefferies took Bardreau’s pass from the left point, darted to the slot, and blew a wrist shot past Bussi’s glove for his sixth goal of the season at 13:22. Marshall Warren was credited with the secondary assist.
Rick Kowalsky pulled Tikkanen for the extra attacker in the dying minutes of regulation, and the Islanders outshot the Bruins in the third period 16-11. Still, Bridgeport came up short for the sixth straight meeting.
The Islanders went 1-for-5 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill. Bridgeport led in shots, 35-33. Two came from Gemel Smith, who made his Islanders debut after signing a PTO earlier in the day.
Next Time Out: The Islanders host Montreal’s affiliate, the Laval Rocket, on Sunday at 3 p.m. It’s the annual ‘Holiday Hockey’ game presented by Coca-Cola. Fans are encouraged to participate in a pre-game toy drive to benefit the Yale New Haven Health Toy Closet Program, and anyone who donates at least one (1) item will receive a free ticket to the Jan. 15th game. Santa Claus will attend, and inflatable games and face painting will be offered for kids in the Total Mortgage Arena atrium. Doors open at 2 p.m., and tickets are on sale now.
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 2:45 p.m.
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