The Bridgeport Islanders had a busy week both on and off the ice, as they played three games and saw two key roster moves occur. On Saturday morning, as the team was preparing for a matchup against the Providence Bruins, they received news that the New York Islanders had recalled defenseman Grant Hutton. The following day, the Islanders dealt forward Arnaud Durandeau in return for Tyce Thompson of the New Jersey Devils’ organization.
On the ice, the Bridgeport Islanders dropped two of the three games they played in the past week, losing to the Springfield Thunderbirds by a score of 4-2 on Wednesday (Nov. 22), the Bruins by a score of 2-1 on Saturday (Nov. 25), and beating the Belleville Senators 4-2 on Sunday (Nov. 26). Here is what you need to know.
Slow Starts
The Islanders have struggled offensively this season, averaging just 2.00 goals per game. The team has been plagued by slow starts as of late: in their last three matchups, they have scored zero even-strength goals in the first period. While they were able to find the back of the net while on the power play in the first period on Saturday, it ended up being their only goal of the game. They followed up Saturday’s poor offensive performance by mustering up just two shots on net in the first ten minutes of Sunday’s game, one of which was a clearance from their own half that trickled in on the Belleville goal. If the Islanders hope to be competitive, they are going to need to improve meaningfully on offense, and that starts with showing up in the first period.
Losses to Springfield, Providence
The Islanders started the week off with a 4-2 loss on the road against the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds got out to a 2-0 lead, and while the Islanders were able to score twice in the second period, Springfield answered each time. Bridgeport failed to score on their one power play of the night, which has been an area of struggle for them throughout the young season: their power play percentage currently sits at a lackluster 13.1 percent.
The Islanders followed up their loss to the Thunderbirds with another poor offensive performance, this time at home against the Bruins. It was the team’s first game without Hutton, who was recalled to the New York Islanders earlier in the day. The Islanders were able to tie the game at one after falling behind early, and after that, both teams struggled to get the ball rolling offensively. Islanders’ goaltender Jakub Skarek had one of his best games thus far this season, but it wasn’t enough; the Bruins were able to score on the power play halfway through the third period to secure the win by a score of 2-1.
Offensive Spark Sunday
In his post-game press conference on Sunday, forward Kyle MacLean noted that the team recognized the need to pick things up after the first frame, saying “It was a little bit of a slow start. We talked between periods, we started to play faster, play harder, we needed a bit more jump in the second.” The new approach seemed to work, as the Islanders matched their first-period shot total of eight in the first five minutes of the period. They ended up scoring four goals in the final two frames of Sunday’s game, more than they had scored in the seven periods prior to that.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Bridgeport Islanders’ 3-2 Loss to Bears
The Islanders’ offensive awakening in the last 40 minutes of Sunday’s game was encouraging for a team that has struggled offensively to start the season. In those last two periods, they nearly doubled Belleville’s shot total and controlled the pace of the game, something we have not seen enough from them thus far this season.
Mac Attack
The Islanders went to the power play with just under five minutes to go in the second period on Sunday, and MacLean was able to find the back of the net after redirecting a shot from Robin Salo. He was not done there. Just over five minutes into the third, he found himself on a breakaway, having beat a Belleville defender after receiving the puck from Matt Maggio at the blue line.
MacLean gave a laugh in his post-game interview as he described the rest of the play, saying “I was coming down trying to make a move and I kind of lost the puck and it just squeaked five hole… I was a little lucky there but I’ll take it.” Sunday was the second game this season in which MacLean has found the back of the net twice, and he is on pace to set new American Hockey League (AHL) career highs in goals and points. MacLean’s offensive production is a welcome sight for a team that has struggled to find the back of the net to start the season.
Looking Ahead
The team will look to build on this positive performance next weekend when they take on the Providence Bruins on Friday (Dec. 1) and Saturday (Dec. 2). The Bruins sit in seventh in the Atlantic Division, ahead of only the Islanders. One thing to look out for in those matchups will be the arrival of Thompson, who the Islanders acquired Sunday in a trade that sent Durandeau to the Devils’ organization. Thompson has zero goals and five assists in 15 games with the Utica Comets and will look to provide some offensive spark upon arriving in Bridgeport.
