The Bridgeport Report: Week 14
Jan 18, 2024Ruslan Iskhakov added a goal and three assists to his team-leading totals last week, as the Bridgeport Islanders went 1-2-1-0 in four games against as many Atlantic Division rivals. The 2024 AHL All-Star shares 13th in the League's scoring race with 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in 36 games, including points in 11 of his last 12.
The Islanders (11-21-4-0) opened the week with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds on Wednesday, led by Jeff Kubiak’s first two-goal performance in the American Hockey League. William Dufour added his team-leading fifth power-play goal and Jakub Skarek (3-14-4) turned aside 22 shots.
After a brief two-day break, the Islanders began their second ‘three-in-three’ series of the season, this time against the top three teams in the division. Bridgeport fell 4-3 at the hands of the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins on Saturday, but made it interesting by erasing a three-goal deficit with a dramatic comeback effort that fell short. Trevor Cosgrove scored his first AHL goal and Reece Newkirk also lit the lamp for the first time with Bridgeport this year. Henrik Tikkanen (3-2-0) made 23 saves.
Less than 24 hours later, the Islanders received a season-high 38 saves from Skarek in a 2-0 loss to the Providence Bruins at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Sunday. It was the fifth time that Bridgeport has been blanked. However, the club responded in a big way by defeating the first-place Hershey Bears on Monday afternoon at Total Mortgage Arena.
The Islanders found themselves in their first shootout of the season in the MLK Day matinee, where Matthew Maggio posted the game-deciding tally on his first pro shootout attempt. Iskhakov scored his team-best 13th goal and 32nd point in the 2-1 win, as the Islanders hung with the league-leading Bears all afternoon to complete their busy weekend. Tikkanen made 32 saves during his fifth AHL start.
Bridgeport continues its January schedule with a pair of games this weekend, hosting the Hartford Wolf Pack (19-9-5-0) at 7 p.m. on Saturday night before traveling to Rhode Island to face the Bruins (21-12-3-2) at 3:05 p.m. on Sunday. The action can be seen live on AHLTV or heard for free on the Bridgeport Islanders Radio Network, beginning with the Connecticut Lottery Pregame Countdown 15 minutes prior to puck drop.
The Week Ahead:
Saturday, Jan. 20th vs. Hartford (7 p.m.): The Islanders host the Wolf Pack for the second time this month and third time this season. Bridgeport is 1-3-0-0 against the New York Rangers’ affiliate so far, looking for its first victory at Total Mortgage Arena. Saturday is First Responders Night. The first 2,500 fans will receive a free challenge coin and the Islanders will wear specialty warmup jerseys. All first responders receive $5 off at the Yale New Haven Health Box Office.
Sunday, Jan. 21st at Providence (3:05 p.m.): The Islanders travel to Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence for the second straight Sunday. The team is 4-1-1-0 in Sunday games this season and has defeated Springfield, Providence, Belleville, and Charlotte. Bridgeport has outscored its opponents 15-12 on Sundays, as it looks for revenge in Providence coming up this weekend.
Ice Chips:
Follow the Leader: Ruslan Iskhakov recorded four points this past week, including his team-leading 10th multi-point game on Saturday night against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 23-year-old, two-time AHL All Star, has six goals and nine assists in his last 12 games, leading the Islanders in goals (13), assists (19) and points (32) at the halfway mark. He currently shares 13th in the League's scoring race.
Close Calls: Bridgeport leads the league in games decided by one goal, with a whopping 21 of their 36 games ending that close (58.3%). Eleven of those have needed extra time. The Islanders are 9-8-4-0 in one-goal outcomes and 7-4 when going past regulation.
Protect the House: Bridgeport has found success on the penalty kill and especially when playing at Total Mortgage Arena throughout the season. The Islanders’ PK is sixth in the AHL at home (85.7%). Overall, it is 16-for-16 in the last five games.
Quick Hits: Kyle MacLean was recalled by the New York Islanders on Wednesday, his first career NHL promotion... In a set of corresponding moves, rookie forwards Daylan Kuefler and Ashton Calder were brought up from the Worcester Railers (ECHL)... Calder, who will wear #34 for Bridgeport and is looking to make his AHL debut, led the Railers with 14 goals and 33 points in 34 games this season... Kuefler, who is also looking to make his AHL debut, had seven points (4g, 3a) in 14 games with Worcester.
Across the Sound: The New York Islanders (19-15-10) have slipped back to ninth place in the Metropolitan Division with 48 points in 44 games, tied with Pittsburgh and Washington. Those three teams also share third place in the Eastern Conference wild card race, one point behind Tampa Bay. The Islanders suffered a 4-2 loss in Winnipeg on Tuesday and are still looking for their first win of a four-game road trip that ends on Friday in Chicago. Former Bridgeport forward Anders Lee scored both goals against the Jets and now ranks third on the team (13) behind Brock Nelson (19) and Bo Horvat (17).
By Joe Flionis | Bridgeport Islanders