Recap: Bruins 3, Islanders 2
Dec 10, 2022Hundreds of teddy bears and stuffed toys alike rained down from the stands at Total Mortgage Arena after Chris Terry’s opening goal for the Bridgeport Islanders (13-6-4-0) on Saturday, but a pair of late tallies from the Providence Bruins (15-3-3-2) handed Bridgeport a 3-2 loss.
Paul Thompson also scored his third goal of the season to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead in the final five minutes, while Jakub Skarek (4-4-3) made 24 saves. Fabian Lysell had two goals for the Bruins including the game-winner with just 3:47 remaining.
The Islanders capitalized on their first power play of the night to grab a 1-0 advantage just 5:34 into the contest. Terry hammered a one-time slap shot from the right circle past Bruins goaltender Brandon Bussi, his sixth goal of the season and his first on the power play. Samuel Bolduc and Ruslan Iskhakov had the assists, extending Iskhakov’s point streak to five games (three goals, two assists).
Lysell answered on the power play 11:23 into the first frame, knotting the score at 1-1 after Vinni Lettieri rang a shot off the post. Connor Carrick had the secondary assist.
Neither team found the back of the net in the second, but Bridgeport’s penalty kill came up big after Otto Koivula and Jeff Kubiak committed minor penalties within a minute of each other. The Islanders were at a 5-on-3 disadvantage that they erased with hard work in their own end, taking the 1-1 deadlock into the third period.
Thompson gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead at the 11:14 mark, redirecting a one-time shot from Arnaud Durandeau that sent the puck slowly past Bussi. Parker Wotherspoon had the secondary assist, his third in six games against the Bruins this year.
Providence took over in the final five minutes with back-to-back goals just 1:54 apart. Carrick tied the game for a second time with a wrist shot around a sprawled-out Skarek for his second goal of the season. Jack Ahcan and Luke Toporowski got the assists.
Lysell netted his second tally of the contest with 3:47 remaining, giving Providence a 3-2 lead. The rookie forward was left alone out front after receiving a pass from Georgii Merkulov, who had the assist alongside Josiah Didier.
Bridgeport pulled Skarek with 1:40 left, giving them a 6-on-5 advantage through the dying minutes of the game. After multiple offensive-zone attempts were thwarted, the clock expired, giving Providence its third straight win.
The Islanders fell to 3-3-0-0 against the Bruins this season.
Next Time Out: The Islanders complete their third "three-in-three" of the season on Sunday with a 3:05 p.m. rematch against the Bruins at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Fans can watch all of the action online via AHLTV.