Recap: Checkers 4, Islanders 1
Nov 18, 2022The Bridgeport Islanders (7-3-3-0), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, fell to the Charlotte Checkers (8-4-1-1) in a 4-1 final at Total Mortgage Arena on Friday.
The Islanders couldn’t overcome an early two-goal deficit, even while outshooting the Checkers, 39-18. Hudson Fasching scored his sixth goal of the season and his third in as many games, while Jakub Skarek (2-2-2) made 14 saves.
Alex Lyon (4-3-1) stopped 38 of 39 shots for the Checkers. Trevor Cosgrove (pictured) notched four shots on goal in his AHL debut, while Nikita Soshnikov recorded one shot in his Bridgeport debut.
Charlotte jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 27 seconds into the game courtesy of Chris Tierney’s third goal of the season. Lucas Carlsson stretched a perfect pass from his own end to Tierney behind the Islanders’ defense, who charged ahead and beat Skarek low on a breakaway.
The Checkers extended the lead to 2-0 at the 7:02 mark on Anton Levtchi’s sixth score of the season and first of two goals in the game. After assisting on the first goal of the night, the 26-year-old had his fourth multi-point outing just over seven minutes into the game.
Fasching cut the Islanders’ deficit in half right at 10:00 of the first period after forcing a turnover at the end of a successful penalty kill. Ryan MacKinnon then found Fasching at the side of the crease where he flipped a short-side shot over Lyon’s glove to make it 2-1.
Neither squad found the back of the net in the second period. At the end of 40 minutes of play, Bridgeport outshot Charlotte 25-13.
Charlotte regained its two-goal lead just under five minutes into the third period on Levtchi’s second goal and third point of the evening. Justin Sourdif and Santtu Kinnunen had the assists.
Riley Nash added an empty-net goal in the final two minutes.
Bridgeport went 0-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the kill.