Recap: Islanders 6, Wolf Pack 3
Nov 23, 2022Otto Koivula scored twice, added one assist, and Arnaud Durandeau had three assists as the Bridgeport Islanders (10-3-3-0), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, beat the Hartford Wolf Pack (5-6-1-3) 6-3 at Total Mortgage Arena on Wednesday.
Koivula, Durandeau, Chris Terry (one goal, one assist) and Jeff Kubiak (one goal, one assist) all recorded a multi-point effort, while Cory Schneider (7-1-1) made 24 saves in his 200th AHL appearance. His seven wins this season are tied for second most in the league.
The Islanders jumped into second place in the Atlantic Division with their third straight victory. Bridgeport has outscored Hartford 16-8 in three meetings this season, winning all three.
Koivula put the Islanders ahead just 1:21 into the first period with his third goal of the season and second in as many appearances. Durandeau deflected down an errant clearing attempt, giving Koivula a wide-open lane down the right side where he skated to the circle and snapped a shot past Dylan Garand.
The first frame ended with Bridgeport ahead 1-0 on the scoreboard and 10-7 in shots. It also concluded with tempers boiling over, as Cole Bardreau and Ben Harpur dropped the gloves in the final 66 seconds. Bardreau confronted Harpur after a hit on Erik Brown and was handed an extra two-minute instigating minor and 10-minute misconduct. Hartford failed to score on the power play and went 0-for-3 in the game, while the Islanders were 0-for-2 on the man advantage.
Just after a power play expired at 14:11 of the second, Durandeau tallied his second assist of the night by feeding a streaking Kubiak who buried a one-time shot down the left side. Kubiak’s tally was his second of the season and his first since the season opener on Oct. 14th.
The Islanders made it 3-0 just 43 seconds later when Garand misplayed the puck behind his own net, leading to a scramble out front. Bolduc sent home his third goal of the season with a slap shot from distance. Terry and Kyle MacLean were credited with the assists.
Hartford chipped into its deficit just 1:26 into the third period after Schneider appeared to have made a highlight-reel save on Bobby Trivigno’s low shot that was quickly overturned by video review. Karl Henriksson and Harpur had the assists on the Wolf Pack’s first goal.
Will Cuylle made it 3-2 a little more than six minutes later at the 7:49 mark, but Bridgeport again benefitted on a misplay by Garand behind the net. The rookie goaltender fed the puck directly to Andreoff who was closing in on the trapezoid, allowing Andreoff to find Koivula out front with an open net. Koivula earned his second straight multi-point game.
The Rangers’ affiliate responded quickly with Harpur’s third point of the night, a floating shot from center ice that sailed over Schneider’s right shoulder. Ty Emberson and Turner Elson had the assists on the goal that made 4-3.
Terry broke out of a six-game goal-less streak when he redirected Parker Wotherspoon’s shot from the blue line at the 17:25 mark. Koivula had the secondary assist, his third point of the night. Bardreau added the dagger with his third goal of the season with just 1:22 to play, sending the puck into the empty net for the 6-3 final.
Next Time Out: The Islanders face the Rochester Americans on Friday in the AHLTV Free Game of the Week, live from Blue Cross Arena at 7:05 p.m.