The Bridgeport Islanders took on the Hershey Bears on Monday, Jan. 15 at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Despite the fact that they were only able to score a single goal in regulation, they pulled out the win on a Matt Maggio goal in the fifth round of their first shootout of the season. This win was arguably the most meaningful of the Islanders’ season thus far: the Bears have the best record in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Islanders were winless in the four previous games they played against them this season. Here are some key takeaways from the game.
Tikkanen Shines
Monday was the fifth start of Henrik Tikkanen’s young AHL career – and it was without a doubt his best. The 23-year-old goaltender held the Bears scoreless into the third period, making 32 saves and allowing just one goal through the end of overtime. Tikkanen was rebounding from a poor start on Saturday (Jan. 6) in which he allowed four goals on 27 shots. Islanders fans should feel encouraged by his ability to get back to his A game and about the potential he has shown in his young career thus far.
Iskhakov Scores Again
Ruslan Iskhakov continues to be the Islanders’ most valuable player this season. He broke the scoreless tie seven minutes into the third period on a nifty goal that came off the rush assisted by Otto Koivula and Tyce Thompson. With just over three minutes to go in the game, the Bears tied it up, sending the game to overtime. Iskhakov was as reliable as ever when the game went to a shootout, beating Bears’ goalie Clay Stevenson on an impressive move to tie the shootout at two.
Iskhakov has heated up over the past several weeks. His career-long ten-game point streak came to an end on Saturday when the Islanders were shut out by the Providence Bruins; however, he was able to bounce right back with a goal on Monday. The 23-year-old was named to his second AHL All-Star Game earlier in the week; he is certainly a player that Islanders fans should have their eye on as his skill level is worthy of NHL consideration.
Offensive Struggles
While the Islanders were able to pull out a win against the Bears, it wasn’t pretty. They were able to muster up just one goal in regulation and were held scoreless in overtime, going 0-for-2 on the power play. Coming off of a game against the Bruins in which they were shut out, the Islanders have now scored just one goal in their last two games worth of hockey. Simply put, they need to put more pucks in the back of the net if they want to string together enough wins to get themselves back into the playoff picture.
Expect More Close Games
The Islanders are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 20 when they will take on the Hartford Wolfpack at home. They will then play the Bruins three times in a row, with the first two coming on the road in Providence. One thing to expect going forward is for the Islanders to find themselves in close games; they have been in a league-high 21 one-goal games thus far in 2023-24, including three of the four games they have played against the Wolfpack.
Related: Iskhakov Lifts Bridgeport Islanders Over Checkers
Monday’s game marked the exact midpoint of the AHL season. The Islanders have 26 points over their first 36 games, better than only the Manitoba Moose (though the Moose have played four fewer games). They currently sit in last place in the Atlantic Division, 12 points behind the Lehigh Valley Phantoms who are in seventh. The team will need to find more offensive production one way or another if they hope to avoid finishing last in the division this season.
