Feb 25, 2024
Ruslan Iskhakov scored two goals and Samuel Bolduc recorded a late game winner on Sunday afternoon, as the Bridgeport Islanders (16-28-6-1), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds (24-22-3-2) in a come-from-behind 5-3 victory at Total Mortgage Arena.
The Islanders scored five goals for the first time since a 5-1 win against Springfield on Feb. 2nd, but Sunday’s outburst came on a franchise record 54 shots, most in team history for a game that ended in regulation.
Matt Maggio and Grant Hutton each had two assists to join Iskhakov with multi-point performances, while Tyce Thompson and Hudson Fasching also found the back of the net. Henrik Tikkanen (6-3-2) made 26 saves, as the Islanders heavily outshot the Thunderbirds 54-29. Maggio has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his last six games. Tikkanen is 3-0-1-0 in his last four starts.
Bridgeport extended its point streak at home to six games (4-0-1-1) and its winning streak against the Thunderbirds to three. The Islanders are 6-2-2-0 against Springfield this season. Bridgeport also improved to 6-1-2-0 when playing on a Sunday afternoon.
After eight minutes of scoreless play right off the bat, the offense picked up with three total goals in the next five and a half minutes. The Thunderbirds struck first 8:19 into the contest when Sam Bitten scored his first AHL goal. Drew Callin centered a nice pass from the bottom of the right circle that Bitten hammered home at the doorstep for a slam-dunk goal.
Springfield extended its lead at the 12:54 mark when Jakub Vrana turned on the jets and blew past the Islanders’ defense, slipping a backhand shot under Tikkanen. Ryan Suzuki lofted the head-man pass that sent Vrana in alone, recording an assist.
The Islanders got on the board just 55 seconds later with Thompson’s first goal of the season and first as an Islander. Carsen Twarynski sprung Thompson in on a breakaway over the T-Birds’ blue line and Thompson sniped a backhand shot up and over Colten Ellis’ shoulder to make it 2-1. It was his first goal overall since Jan. 13, 2023. Brian Pinho received the secondary assist.
The Thunderbirds added to their lead 6:34 into the second period when Suzuki sped past the Islanders’ defense on his backhand before quickly switching to his forehand and chipping a shot over Tikkanen’s glove. Vrana stretched the pass…
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