The Bridgeport Islanders took on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday (March 10) at home at Total Mortgage Arena. The Islanders were looking for their first five-game winning streak of the season in the matchup, which was a pivotal one as the Phantoms sit one spot ahead of them in the Atlantic Division of the American Hockey League (AHL). Despite erasing a two-goal deficit in the first period, the Islanders were unable to get the better of the Phantoms, who took the game by a score of 4-3.
Exciting First Period
The Islanders came out of the gate slowly, allowing two goals in the first five minutes in an uncharacteristic poor start for netminder Henrik Tikkanen. For the first half of the opening period, it felt like the Phantoms were in complete control, as they outshot the Islanders 9-2 in the first ten minutes, continuing an offensive frenzy that saw them score four goals in the third period on Saturday.
After allowing the two early goals, Tikkanen seemed to settle down and the Islanders were able to hold the Phantoms scoreless for the rest of the period. They were then able to pick up a goal of their own with nine minutes to go in the period as Jeff Kubiak tipped in a Cole Bardreau shot for his eighth goal of the campaign. They weren’t done there. After Carsen Twarynski and Phantoms’ forward Zayde Wisdom headed to the box for roughing, the Islanders were able to generate a rush, which Tyce Thompson took advantage of, finding the back of the net and evening the score at two goals apiece.
Slow Second
Heading into the second period, it felt like the Islanders had all the momentum. Unfortunately for the Bridgeport faithful, their start to the period was no better than their start to the first, as they allowed two goals in the first eight minutes, including forward Rhett Gardner’s second of the game and fourth of the weekend.
Related: Bridgeport Islanders Drop Third Straight to Phantoms
Lehigh Valley’s offensive explosion may have come as a surprise: they scored just one regulation goal in each of the previous two meetings between these two teams and Tikkanen had not allowed four or more goals in a game since Jan. 13. The Islanders were unable to bounce back in the second like they did in the first; while they were able to muster up 11 shots on net in the period they were unable to create any legitimate scoring chances, even on their sole power play of the frame, and the Phantoms left the period with a 4-2 lead.
Falling Behind
The Islanders were able to score a goal with three minutes to go in Sunday’s game, however, it was not enough, as they lost the game by a score of 4-3. The matchup was a considerable missed opportunity for the Islanders, who moved to ten back of the Phantoms and the Springfield Thunderbirds for a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. Though they still have 15 games left in their 2023-24 campaign, things are looking bleak for the Islanders as they have a lot of ground to make up.
Looking Ahead
Sunday was the last home game before a five-game road trip for the Islanders. They will head North of the border for a two-game set with the Laval Rocket beginning on Wednesday (March 13), then Saturday they will face the Belleville Senators. The following weekend they will take on the Utica Comets on the road before heading to Lehigh Valley for a rematch with the Phantoms. Fans should keep an eye on the play of Tikkanen as they head into this road trip; after catching fire over the last month, he has struggled in two of his last three outings and it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back over the next few games.
