ISLANDERS BRING THUNDER TO BEAT TBIRDS
By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 20, 2025) – Chris Terry, Liam Foudy and Eetu Liukas all scored for the second straight game, leading the Bridgeport Islanders (9-25-2-2), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, to a come-from-behind, 4-3 win, against the Springfield Thunderbirds (17-16-2-1) at MassMutual Center on MLK Day.
Foudy scored two goals and added an assist for his second consecutive three-point showing, while Henrik Tikkanen (3-8-0) made an AHL career-high 38 saves. He outlasted Springfield goaltender Colten Ellis (12-6-2), who also made 38 saves but saw a four-game winning streak come to an end.
Liukas extended his point streak to a career-high three games with the winning goal at 9:54 of the third period, kickoff off a four-game road trip on the right note.
Bridgeport erased an early two-goal deficit – and a 4-3 discrepancy in the third period – to earn its most resilient win of the season. It was also the club’s first win when the opening goal was allowed. Sam Johannesson drew first blood with a blue-line blast that soared through traffic and beat Tikkanen 6:45 into the contest, which made it 1-0 despite contact with Tikkanen near the crease.
Johannesson got his second point when he set up Simon Robertsson’s fifth goal of the season about 11 minutes later to make it 2-0. Leo Loof fed a pass to Johannesson on the left side, where he leaned into a wrist shot above the circle and tossed a shot toward the front that Robertsson deflected.
The Islanders recorded four of the following five goals, using a dominant second period to spark their comeback. Terry cut the deficit in half just 3:21 into the frame when he finished off a rebound caused by Foudy and Sam Bolduc for a power-play goal. It was his ninth goal of the season, fourth on the power play, and 66th of his Bridgeport career, grabbing sole possession of fifth place on the team’s all-time list.
Less than four minutes later, Foudy went coast-to-coast on a shorthanded rush and tied the game with a brilliant, sharp-angle shot from the bottom of the left circle into the top-right corner. It was Bridgeport’s fifth shorthanded goal of the season between Foudy (1), Julien Gauthier (1), and Brian Pinho (3).
The Islanders outshot the Thunderbirds 23-18 in the second period and took a 2-2 deadlock into the third. However, Hugh McGing blew a wrist shot over Tikkanen’s blocker for a power-play goal 4:58 into the third period to make it 3-2.
Foudy took matters into his own hands 65 seconds later and leveled the score at 3-3 with his 13th goal of the season, four behind Pinho for the team lead. His second goal of the night came on a dazzling sequence of passes between Marshall Warren from the blue line and Gemel Smith at the side of the crease, leaving Ellis with no chance to make a save on Foudy at the 6:03 mark.
Liukas pushed home his rebound for the game winner at 9:54 of the third period. He deflected Tyce Thompson’s long shot off Ellis’ pads and cleaned up the aftermath from just above the crease. Liukas extended his point streak to a career-high three games (2g, 1a).
The Islanders outshot Springfield 42-41. All nine of their wins this season have come when outshooting their opponent. Bridgeport went 1-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the kill.
Bridgeport improved to 3-3-1-0 against the Thunderbirds this season.
Matias Rajaniemi recorded one shot-on-goal in his AHL debut.
Next Time Out: The Islanders continue a four-game road trip on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. matchup against the Utica Comets at the Adirondack Bank Center. 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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