The Bridgeport Islanders entered their Nov. 11 game against the Springfield Thunderbirds looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss to the Hartford Wolfpack the night before. In a slow game, they forced overtime, which was already good enough for a team with seven points on the season entering the night. Better yet, the Islanders won the game in the final minute of overtime to take the game 2-1.
Related: Bridgeport Islanders Avoid 5-Game Skid, Find Offensive Spark
The win gives the Islanders a 4-6-1 record and they remain in last place in the Atlantic Division, but the win caps off the weekend on a high note. More importantly, the game itself showed off one of the team’s top prospects who led the offense in a low-scoring game.
Robin Salo stood out on the defense as a puck-handler, moving the puck out of the defensive zone, but a forward connection sprung the offense to life and willed the team to victory.
Ruslan Iskhakov’s Big Night
After a scoreless first, the games started to open up and the Islanders offense was started up with the Samuel Asselin to Ruslan Ishkakov connection. Off a turnover, he sent the puck to the blue where Iskhakov had an odd-man rush and slipped a low shot to the back of the net for the game’s first goal.
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As one of the best forward prospects, the 23-year-old has been eager to find the back of the net more often. He entered the night with only two goals in 10 games and is looking to find more opportunities in space. With the game in overtime, he once again found space to operate on the same connection, with Asselin finding him open on a quick pass.
The Islanders were less than a minute away from a shootout, but Iskhakov once again went with a low shot to end the game and secure the 2-1 victory. In a game where the offense struggled, they needed a spark and the top prospect delivered. After scoring 17 goals and 34 assists last season, the expectations are that Iskhakov will take a big leap and possibly make a case to join the NHL roster. The two-goal night gives him four goals and six assists on the season and his scoring presence will go a long way in helping the Islanders turn their season around.
Ken Appleby’s Strong Start
With the Islanders playing the second game of a back-to-back, they turned to Ken Appleby, who entered the game with a .910 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.74 goals-against average (GAA). Early on, he was tested with multiple defensive breakdowns and quick shots from the Thunderbirds, who set the tone with a faster pace. Ultimately, Appleby’s 11-save period kept the game scoreless and allowed the Islanders to find their footing and take over the game.
After that, it was an easy night in the net for Appleby as he only saved 10 more shots in the remaining 44 minutes of action. However, he was able to keep the Thunderbirds’ offense in check and allow the Islanders to earn a point. Appleby was brought in with the hopes that he could add stability in the net, notably on the nights that Jakub Skarek wouldn’t be the starter. In this game, he was able to do that and allow the Islanders to return to the win column.
Islanders Hit a Wall in Subban
Malcolm Subban has been around and is a journeyman goaltender at this point in his career. In seven seasons, he’s played for four NHL teams and is constantly bouncing around from the pro level to the American Hockey League (AHL) level. Against the Islanders, he reminded everyone why he is worthy of being a backup in the NHL, especially when he’s seeing the puck well.
The Islanders generated plenty of scoring chances and quick shots on the net and, at times, looked poised to break the game open. Subban wasn’t going to let that happen, stopping 33 of the 35 shots he faced. While Subban has a tough road back to the NHL, with both the St. Louis Blues’ goaltenders playing well this season, he proved that in the right situation, he could find his way back to the pro level soon.
Islanders Power Outage
New York Islanders fans know all too well about the power play struggling. The unit has only scored 17.65 percent of opportunities, and it’s one of the worst in the NHL. The inability to score on the man advantage and a three-game losing streak are two of the reasons head coach Lane Lambert is on the hot seat.
The AHL team is no different. Against the Thunderbirds, they failed to score on all three of their opportunities. To be fair, they were creating plenty of scoring chances and moving the puck effectively, but they couldn’t finish their opportunities. The lack of a finisher on the man advantage is an area where Ishkakov can expand his game, or Matthew Maggio, one of the team’s top scorers, will need to step in.
The power play is now in a significant drought. In the past four games, they have gone 0-17, and the unit has become a glaring weakness for a last-place team.
What’s Next for the Islanders?
The Islanders will play their next game on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at home against the Syracuse Crunch, who head into the game at 6-3 and are coming off a 6-3 victory over the Wilkes-Barre Penguins. The Islanders pulled off an upset in their recent victory but will have their hands full against the Tampa Bay Lightning’s AHL affiliate.
The season is still a rough one for the Islanders, but the recent game showed that there is a path for the teams to climb back into contention. The Asselin-Ishkakov connection must lead the way, and strong goaltending has to keep them in games.
