Recap: Marlies 3, Islanders 2 (OT)
Mar 8, 2025Adam Beckman registered a goal and an assist in his team debut on Saturday, but the Bridgeport Islanders (12-37-4-3), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, fell to the Toronto Marlies (29-17-3-6) in overtime, 3-2, at Total Mortgage Arena.
Jacob Quillan was the hero for Toronto, scoring the game-winning goal with 33.5 seconds left in overtime. Alex Steeves tallied his AHL-leading 31st goal and added one assist, while Dennis Hildeby (10-6-2) stopped 35 of 37 shots.
Beckman, Sam Bolduc and Chris Terry all had one goal and one assist for the Islanders, accounting for all of their scoring. Beckman, after being acquired in a trade with the New Jersey Devils on Friday, notched his ninth multi-point effort of the season between Bridgeport and Utica. He has seven points (3g, 4a) in his last five games.
Bolduc recorded his fifth power-play goal of the season and eighth overall, while Terry collected his team-leading 52nd point and 36th assist.
After a scoreless first period, the Marlies struck twice in a 27-second span during the second. At the 7:29 mark, Matt Maggio was called for tripping, giving Toronto the man advantage. They capitalized just five seconds later when William Villeneuve found Steeves in the right circle, who hammered a one-timer past Henrik Tikkanen (4-15-3) for the power-play goal.
At 8:01, Villeneuve dumped the puck off to Alex Nylander just before entering the Islanders’ zone. Nylander crossed the blue line and blasted a slap shot past Tikkanen to make it 2-0 Toronto.
The Islanders struck back at the 13:21 mark. After Matthew Barbolini was accessed a tripping penalty, Terry fired a shot off Hildeby's pad and the rebound rolled out to Bolduc near the blue line. Bolduc wristed a lengthy follow-up chance past Hildeby for the power-play goal, cutting Toronto's lead in half and beginning the comeback.
Beckman made it a brand-new contest with a clutch goal 13:45 into the third period. After the Islanders won a right-circle faceoff, Terry drilled a shot that hit Hildeby's shoulder and cruised out to Bolduc, who tried to find Beckman near the goal. The puck redirected off Beckman's skate and into the back of the net to force overtime.
During a fast-paced, thrilling extra period that saw incredible opportunities on both sides, the Marlies came out on top thanks to Quillan’s late goal. The Marlies gained possession in the final minute and skated into the Islanders’ zone with a 2-on-1 advantage. Steeves slid the puck to Quillan on the right side of the net, who sent a quick shot home to clinch the 3-2 victory for Toronto.
Bridgeport’s power play went 1-for-6, while the penalty kill went 3-for-4. Despite the loss, the Islanders led in shots 35-30. Bridgeport extended its point streak against the Marlies to seven straight games (5-0-3).
Next Time Out: The Islanders finish a quick two-game homestead tomorrow afternoon with a 3 p.m. matchup against the Springfield Thunderbirds at Total Mortgage Arena. 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 2:45 p.m.