The Bridgeport Islanders started their five-game homestand and the new year with a hard-fought game against the Hartford Wolf Pack. They kept the game close but couldn’t respond to the Wolf Pack’s third-period goal and fell 3-2 for their second loss in a row against the Atlantic Division rival after losing to them 3-2 on Dec. 30.
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The game was reflective of two teams dealing with injuries. Artem Anisimov, who hasn’t played with the Wolf Pack since the 2008-09 season, scored the game-winning goal and the only reason he was playing in the game was because of the pile-up of injuries to the forward unit. The Islanders, who lost two key skaters mid-game, were also dealing with the injury bug which was the reason Henrik Tikkanen got the start in the net.
Tikkanen’s Start
New York Islanders backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov is day-to-day with an injury after leaving the Jan. 2, 5-4 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche early. It forced them to call up Ken Appleby from the American Hockey League (AHL) and promote Tikkanen from the Worcester Railers in the ECHL. With Jakub Skarek expected to start the majority of the upcoming games, this was the game for Tikkanen to provide stability and put together a strong start.
He allowed three goals on 23 shots. The Wolf Pack pressured him early with seven shots in the first ten minutes of the game, resulting in an early 1-0 lead and Tikkanen was adjusting on the fly to the speed and skill of the AHL. It’s his second start at this level and the 23-year-old goaltender will have plenty of time to develop into a starter. However, in this game, he was exposed and it allowed the Wolf Pack to come away with a 3-2 win.
Injuries Get To Bridgeport’s Defense
In the first period, one of the Islanders’ veteran defensemen, Grant Hutton, went down with an injury and left the game. He didn’t return and the team was forced to play with five defensemen for the final two periods of play. The NHL team has experienced this throughout the season with Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield, and recently, Robert Bortuzzo who was placed on injured reserve. Now, the issue has plagued the AHL team and it showed throughout the game as they couldn’t control the puck and move it up the ice against the opposition.
The Wolf Pack controlled the pace of play and eventually, the extra ice time affected the defensemen as the Islanders allowed a goal early in the third period. With the Islanders desperate to tie the game, Dennis Cholowski, who has been one of the best playmakers at the blue line with four goals and 14 assists, took a hard hit and left the game. With the team down to four defensemen and down a goal, it was an uphill battle and ultimately too much as they lost 3-2.
Koivala’s Seventh Goal This Season
The Islanders were granted three power play opportunities in the first period, largely because of Wolf Pack veteran Alex Belzile taking three penalties including a game misconduct following a slash. On their second power play, they got to work, and Otto Koivala found a shooting lane and sniped the puck past Wolf Pack goaltender Dylan Garand to tie the game up at one.
The goal was Koivala’s seventh of the season which is second-most on the Islanders behind only Ruslan Iskhakov, who has 10. The 25-year-old forward has emerged as one of the best goal-scorers on a team that is searching for them. Iskhakov is leading the offense but the Islanders need other skaters to step up and Koivala is starting to look like one who can do just that.
Other Takeaways From The Islanders’ Loss
- Brian Pinho had two assists in the game and has 11 on the season. In a game where the offense struggled, he was one of the bright spots.
- Ishkakov had an assist on Koivala’s power-play goal, bringing his total to 15 on the season. Along with leading the team in goals, he also has a team-high 15 assists, making him the focal point of the offense.
What’s Next For The Islanders?
The Islanders continue their homestand with a Jan. 6 matchup against the Charlotte Checkers. The last time the two teams met was on Dec. 16 with Robin Salo scoring the overtime winner to allow the Islanders to win the game 4-3 and another win against them could go a long way in helping them turn their season around.
Their record is now 9-18-2 and they remain in last place in the Atlantic Division. The hill to climb keeps getting steeper and tougher for the Islanders to overcome. That said, there are still plenty of games left in the season and this month can help them turn a corner. The Islanders will be at home for the next four games and will play eight home games in January.
