Recap: Islanders 6, Phantoms 4
Apr 12, 2023Chris Terry recorded his second career AHL hat trick and set a new career high with 72 points, catapulting the Bridgeport Islanders (33-29-7-1), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, to a 6-4 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (37-27-3-3) at Total Mortgage Arena on Wednesday.
Terry scored three goals and added an assist for his second four-point night of the season, while Andy Andreoff lit the lamp twice and is now tied for the AHL lead with 36 goals. Arnaud Durandeau also hit 20 goals on the season and extended his career-best point streak to six games. It’s the first time Bridgeport has seen four 20-goal scorers in the same season in 14 years (Andreoff, Terry, Dufour, Durandeau).
Three different Islanders made their professional debuts including Aidan Fulp (two assists) and Matthew Maggio (one assist) who recorded their first pro points. Christian Krygier also played his first pro game.
Jakub Skarek (15-15-3) made 33 saves in the crease, while Bridgeport’s penalty kill went 4-for-4 and scored once shorthanded. The Islanders power play went 1-for-2.
Ronnie Attard got the Phantoms on the board just 44 seconds into the game, sending home a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Skarek through traffic up high for his 12th goal of the season. Lehigh Valley maintained its early lead for a little more than 10 minutes.
Terry pulled the Islanders back even with their 10th shorthanded goal of the season and first in over a month. He finished a backhand rebound try after Kyle MacLean’s initial attempt was stuffed by goaltender Samuel Ersson. Fulp was credited with the secondary assist, his first point in his first pro period.
Bridgeport took the lead with 33.7 seconds remaining in the opening frame after Reece Newkirk’s nifty pass behind the net found Durandeau, who snuck home a sharp-angle try from the right side. William Dufour collected the secondary assist.
Adam Brooks tied the game at 2-2 with a blast from the slot that went off the right post and in at 10:06 of the second period.
The Islanders began a busy, six-goal third period with back-to-back tallies from Terry and Andreoff 54 seconds apart to make it 4-2 Bridgeport. Andreoff and Fulp assisted on Terry’s second score of the game just 42 seconds in, while Dennis Cholowski and Ruslan Iskhakov were credited with helpers on Andreoff’s team-leading 13th on the power play. Cholowski floated a wrist shot to the front that Andreoff tipped past Ersson at the 1:36 mark.
Lehigh Valley cut into Bridgeport’s lead when Cooper Marody beat Skarek after cutting to the slot just 3:36 into the final frame. It was Marody’s 15th goal of the season and one of his two points on the night, making it 4-3.
Terry completed the hat trick, his first since Oct. 13, 2017, on another wrist shot from just below the right circle to give the Islanders a 5-3 advantage. Maggio earned the only assist in his pro debut.
Elliot Desnoyers got the Phantoms back to within one less than 30 seconds later, giving both squads a combined five goals just 8:14 into the third period. The Phantoms pulled Ersson while on their fourth power play of the night but conceded an empty-net goal from Andreoff with just 18 seconds remaining to seal the win. Terry earned his fourth point of the night with the only assist.
Bridgeport finished the series 3-4-0-1 against the Phantoms.
Next Time Out: The Islanders play their final home game of the season on Friday night with a 7 p.m. matchup against the Hershey Bears for ‘Fan Appreciation Night’. Doors open at 6 p.m. and fans can purchase tickets here. Watch all of the live action via AHLTV or listen to the broadcast through the Bridgeport Islanders Radio Network, starting with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m.