By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (February 8, 2025) – Hunter Miska made 28 saves, and his teammates scored five unanswered goals ahead of him on Saturday as the Bridgeport Islanders (11-31-2-2), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, dominated the Charlotte Checkers (25-14-3-2) in a 5-1 victory at Total Mortgage Arena.
Liam Foudy, Cam Thiesing, and Sam Bolduc scored once and added an assist, while Chris Terry collected two helpers. Miska (1-4-0) was perfect in the second and third periods to backstop his first win as an Islander and his first AHL victory since Apr. 23, 2022.
With the win, the Islanders snapped a five-game skid and picked up their second straight victory against the Checkers.
After the contest remained scoreless for nearly the entire first period, Kyle Criscuolo got Charlotte on the board with an even-strength goal at 18:50. Justin Sourdif brought the puck into the Islanders’ zone and skated down the left side before dumping a backhand pass to the front of the net. Criscuolo was at the crease, where he jammed a quick shot under Miska’s pads to give Charlotte a 1-0 advantage.
The Islanders responded with a three-goal middle frame despite Charlotte allowing the fewest second-period goals of any team entering the night (29). Maggio tied the score 1-1 at the 2:19 mark when he carried the puck in down the left side and attempted to find Thiesing across the slot. Thiesing’s initial shot deflected off a skate, hit goalie Chris Driedger’s (9-6-3) pad, and bounced back to Maggio for a quick finish. It was his fifth season goal and second in the last four games.
Bridgeport jumped ahead with two goals in 32 seconds to end the period. At 10:31, Bolduc hammered a shot from the blue line that fell behind Driedger in the crease, allowing Foudy to brush the puck across the goal line for his 17th tally of the season. That goal also stood as his team-leading fourth game winner.
Just over a half-minute later, Cole Bardreau’s shot from the right circle was blocked by Trevor Carrick, but the second effort came to Thiesing, who launched home a wrist shot for his second pro goal. It marked his first pro-multi-point game.
Bridgeport added insurance in the third with two final goals in 42 seconds. At the 14:39 mark, after receiving a pass from Terry, Tyce Thompson raced along the right-wing boards and sniped a brilliant shot into the top-left corner for a 4-1 lead. At 15:18, Oliver Okuliar was sent to the box for roughing, and the Islanders capitalized three seconds later when Bolduc blasted a slap shot from distance off Brian Pinho’s faceoff win.
A frustrated Okuliar remained physical and dropped the glove with William Dufour shortly after but found himself on the wrong end of a couple of heavy right fists from Dufour, which sent Okuliar down to the ice.
The Islanders’ man advantage went 1-for-6 in the game, converting for the eighth time in their last 10. The penalty kill was 2-for-2 against the second-best power play in the AHL.
Next Time Out: On Wednesday night, the Islanders face the Hartford Wolf Pack at the XL Center. The puck drop is 7 p.m. 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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By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders
WILKES-BARRE, Penn. (February 7, 2025) – The Bridgeport Islanders (10-31-2-2), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, could not solve Tristan Jarry in a 3-0 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (25-11-4-0) at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Friday.
Jarry (6-3-0) made 31 saves for his first shutout of the season and the 10th of his AHL career. Boris Katchouk had one goal and one assist, while Ville Koivunen recorded two helpers. Koivunen leads all AHL rookies in points (38) and assists (23).
The Islanders kept things close for most of the evening, mainly due to their penalty kill shutting down the AHL’s best power play (2-for-2). Bridgeport’s kill improved to 12-for-12 against the Penguins this season.
Sam Poulin drew first blood with his 10th goal of the season coming 11:22 into the first period. Poulin stole the puck in the Islanders’ zone, rolled to his left from the left circle, and snapped a wrist shot glove side on Henrik Tikkanen (3-11-0). The early unassisted goal stood as the game-winner.
Tristan Broz made it 2-0 less than seven minutes later in his return from injury. After missing 12 games, the rookie forward skated to the doorstep and muscled home Koivunen’s centering pass for his 13th goal of the season. Katchouk posted the secondary assist.
Bridgeport had its opportunities over the next 40 minutes, including two shots off the post from Eetu Liukas and a shorthanded bid for Liam Foudy in tight on Jarry. The Islanders also enjoyed two power plays of their own (0-for-2). However, Katchouk sealed the 3-0 final with an empty-net tally at 17:11 of the third period.
A mostly calm contest turned violent at 3:14 of the third when Riley Piercey dropped the gloves with John Gruden in response to Gruden’s high hit on Isaiah George behind the net. George missed a couple of shifts but returned and finished the game. It was Piercey’s team-leading fourth tilt.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton outshot Bridgeport 36-31. Tikkanen turned aside 33 of the 35 shots he faced in his 16th AHL appearance this season.
The Islanders fell to 1-2-0-1 against the Penguins in 2024-25. They were held scoreless for the fifth time overall and second time against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Next Time Out: The Islanders host the Charlotte Checkers for ‘Battle of the Bands‘ tomorrow at 7 p.m. inside Total Mortgage Arena. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The first 500 fans will receive a free concert poster. 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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By: Alana Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (January 29, 2025) – Chris Terry scored for the third straight game, his team-leading seventh on the power play, but the Bridgeport Islanders (10-28-2-2), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, fell to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (21-17-5-1), 9-2, at Total Mortgage Arena on Wednesday.
Zayde Wisdom recorded his first career hat trick for the Phantoms, while Samu Tuomaala added two goals, and Louie Belpedio chipped in a four-point performance (1g, 3a).
It was Terry’s 70th career goal with Bridgeport, putting him one behind Jeff Tambellini for fourth on the team’s all-time list. Terry has six goals in the last six games. So does Liam Foudy, who also extended his point streak to six contests with a second-period tally. He’s registered 10 points total during that streak (6g, 4a).
The Phantoms got off to a quick start, tallying three goals in the opening frame. At 3:12, Belpedio launched a shot from the blue line that deflected off Tuomaala’s stick in the slot and past starter Hunter Miska (0-3-0).
At 12:11, Miska attempted to pass the puck away from his crease, however it was intercepted by Jacob Gaucher, who quickly found Belpedio in the middle of the Islanders’ zone. Belpedio sniped a quick shot into the top shelf. Just 3:23 later, despite Helge Grans in the box due to a hooking penalty, Wisdom stripped the puck from Justin Gill and flipped a shot behind Miska to secure the shorthanded goal. The Phantoms’ seven shorthanded goals this season are tied for second most in the AHL.
Lehigh Valley started the second period right where it left off, finding the back of the net twice in the first five minutes. At 2:27, Massimo Rizzo found Tuomaala with a pass, who brought the puck into the right circle. Tuomaala unleashed a wrist shot that found the left corner of the net. At 4:34, Jon-Randall Avon corralled the puck behind the cage and passed it out to Rizzo, who skated into the slot. Rizzo increased Lehigh Valley’s advantage to 5-0 and ultimately chased Miska from the game.
Head coach Rick Kowalsky replaced Miska with Henrik Tikkanen (no decision).
At 8:46, the Islanders responded with their first of two goals. After receiving a pass from Gemel Smith, Foudy carried the puck up the ice, cut through the right side, and skated around a Lehigh Valley defender to the doorstep. Foudy backhanded the puck behind Alexei Kolosov (2-5-1), cutting the deficit to 5-1.
The Phantoms weren’t deterred. At 10:36, Gendron slung a wrister past Tikkanen for his 12th goal of the season. Twenty-three seconds later, Wisdom raced into the zone and snuck his second of the game through Tikkanen’s five-hole.
At 11:34, Garrett Wilson was given a tripping penalty, putting Bridgeport back on the man advantage. They capitalized 1:27 later when Grant Hutton sent the puck to William Dufour in the left circle, who immediately one-touched a pass to Terry on the right side. Terry completed the tic-tac-toe, unleashing a one-timer into the back of the net. The Islanders have scored a power-play goal in a season-high six straight games.
Lehigh Valley scored two more goals in a 1:26 span during the third period. Brendan Furry tipped Emil Andrae’s shot for a power-play goal at 12:12 before Wisdom clinched the hat trick at 13:37 for the 9-2 final.
Bridgeport’s power play went 1-for-5, while the penalty kill went 1-for-2. Both sides recorded 28 shots.
Next Time Out: The Islanders clash with the Hershey Bears at 7 p.m. Friday at Giant 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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By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (January 29, 2025) – Chris Terry scored for the third straight game, his team-leading seventh on the power play, but the Bridgeport Islanders (10-28-2-2), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, fell to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (21-17-5-1), 9-2, at Total Mortgage Arena on Wednesday.
Zayde Wisdom recorded his first career hat trick for the Phantoms, while Samu Tuomaala added two goals, and Louie Belpedio chipped in a four-point performance (1g, 3a).
It was Terry’s 70th career goal with Bridgeport, putting him one behind Jeff Tambellini for fourth on the team’s all-time list. Terry has six goals in the last six games. So does Liam Foudy, who also extended his point streak to six contests with a second-period tally. He’s registered 10 points total during that streak (6g, 4a).
The Phantoms got off to a quick start, tallying three goals in the opening frame. At 3:12, Belpedio launched a shot from the blue line that deflected off Tuomaala’s stick in the slot and past starter Hunter Miska (0-3-0).
At 12:11, Miska attempted to pass the puck away from his crease, however it was intercepted by Jacob Gaucher, who quickly found Belpedio in the middle of the Islanders’ zone. Belpedio sniped a quick shot into the top shelf. Just 3:23 later, despite Helge Grans in the box due to a hooking penalty, Wisdom stripped the puck from Justin Gill and flipped a shot behind Miska to secure the shorthanded goal. The Phantoms’ seven shorthanded goals this season are tied for second most in the AHL.
Lehigh Valley started the second period right where it left off, finding the back of the net twice in the first five minutes. At 2:27, Massimo Rizzo found Tuomaala with a pass, who brought the puck into the right circle. Tuomaala unleashed a wrist shot that found the left corner of the net. At 4:34, Jon-Randall Avon corralled the puck behind the cage and passed it out to Rizzo, who skated into the slot. Rizzo increased Lehigh Valley’s advantage to 5-0, ultimately chasing Miska from the game.
Head coach Rick Kowalsky replaced Miska with Henrik Tikkanen (no decision).
At 8:46, the Islanders responded with their first of two goals. After receiving a pass from Gemel Smith, Foudy carried the puck up the ice, cut through the right side, and skated around a Lehigh Valley defender to the doorstep. Foudy backhanded the puck behind Alexei Kolosov (2-5-1), cutting the deficit to 5-1.
The Phantoms weren’t deterred. At 10:36, Gendron slung a wrister past Tikkanen for his 12th goal of the season. Twenty-three seconds later, Wisdom raced into the zone and snuck his second of the game through Tikkanen’s five-hole.
At 11:34, Garrett Wilson was given a tripping penalty, putting Bridgeport back on the man advantage. They capitalized 1:27 later when Grant Hutton sent the puck to William Dufour in the left circle, who immediately one-touched a pass to Terry on the right side. Terry completed the tic-tac-toe, unleashing a one-timer into the back of the net. The Islanders have scored a power-play goal in a season-high six straight games.
Lehigh Valley scored two more goals in a 1:26 span during the third period. Brendan Furry tipped Emil Andrae’s shot for a power-play goal at 12:12 before Wisdom clinched the hat trick at 13:37 for the 9-2 final.
Bridgeport’s power play went 1-for-5, while the penalty kill went 1-for-2. Both sides recorded 28 shots.
Next Time Out: The Islanders clash with the Hershey Bears at 7 p.m. Friday at Giant 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.
Connect with the Bridgeport Islanders
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By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders
ALLENTOWN, Penn. (January 25, 2025) – The Bridgeport Islanders (10-27-2-2), an American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, went toe-to-toe with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (20-16-5-1) on Saturday but came up short in a 2-1 regulation loss at PPL Center.
Olle Lycksell scored twice for the Phantoms, while Chris Terry earned his 12th goal of the season and team-leading sixth on the power play. Terry has five goals in his last five games. Sam Bolduc and Tyce Thompson each recorded a power-play assist to extend their point streaks to five games and four games, respectively.
The Islanders finished their four-game road trip 2-2-0-0 and fell to 1-1-0-0 against the Phantoms this season. The Atlantic Division rivals will rematch inside Total Mortgage Arena this Wednesday night at 7 p.m..
Lycksell put the Phantoms ahead at 6:13 of the first period, placing a sharp wrist shot from the left circle above Hunter Miska’s (0-2-0) shoulder and inside the top-left corner. His power-play goal came 25 seconds after Cam Thiesing was called for cross-checking.
Both teams traded chances over the next 36 minutes, but the tightly contested matchup remained 1-0 into the early stages of the third. Tempers boiled over in the meantime, culminating in a second-period fight between Riley Piercey and Louie Belpedio.
Lehigh Valley defenseman Emil Andrae was called for holding just 1:30 into the third period, and the Islanders broke through on the ensuing power play to make it 1-1. Bolduc served Terry on a cross-ice pass from left to right, and Terry hammered home a one-time shot from the circle for his 12th goal and team-leading 36th point. Bolduc has eight points in his last five games (1g, 7a), and Thompson, who registered the secondary helper, has five assists in his previous four.
The Phantoms stunned Bridgeport in the final 1:13, converting the game-winning goal on Lycksell’s redirection at the doorstep. Adam Ginning sent a shot to the crease from the left point that Lycksell deflected past Miska, who was nudged by Phantoms’ forward Jacob Gaucher in the process. The play was reviewed for goaltender interference, but the call on the ice was upheld.
Bridgeport went 1-for-4 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill. Lehigh Valley led in shots, 23-22. Phantoms goalie Parker Gahagen (6-1-1) made 21 saves for his fourth straight win.
Next Time Out: The Islanders and Phantoms square off in a 7 p.m. rematch at Total Mortgage Arena next Wednesday night. 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.
Connect with the Bridgeport Islanders
Keep up with the latest Islanders news and connect with other fans on Facebook (@AHLIslanders), Twitter (@AHLIslanders) and Instagram (@AHLIslanders).
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