Jakub Skarek Having Breakout Season for Bridgeport Islanders
Third-year New York Islanders goalie prospect Jakub Skarek is having a breakout season.
After splitting time between the Worcester Railers and Bridgeport in 2019-20, Skarek was the workhorse in the 24-game season in 2020-21 for the Sound Tigers. Skarek played in 12 out of the 24 games for Bridgeport, more than any other goalie on the team. It was not his best season, as Skarek had a 3.50 goals against average.
Coming into 2021-22, in the last year of his contract, Skarek knew he needed to have a breakout season for the Islanders. It started with a loss at Hartford, but he followed it back up with two consecutive 29-save performances. He capped off October with a 37-save shutout against the Laval Rocket at Total Mortgage Arena.
Skarek struggled in November but made at least 35 saves in two games. When the calendar turned to December, Skarek started to heat up, including three straight performances with at least 30 saves. At the start of the new year, Skarek was one of the best goalies in the AHL and earned January’s AHL goalie of the month award.
In February, Skarek was out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury and returned in the middle of the month.
Currently, Skarek has a 2.98 GAA, and a .904 save percentage, and if there was an All-Star game this season, Skarek likely would’ve represented the Islanders in Laval.
It is amazing to see what Skarek has done this season. It’s even more impressive considering the Bridgeport Islanders have struggled defensively this season.
The NHL Islanders also face a goalie dilemma if they decide to move Semyon Varlamov at the trade deadline. Isles management should have complete faith in Skarek as an option to back up Ilya Sorokin.
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A Native of Danbury, CT. Christian is one of the longest tenured Drive4Five writers, Christian Gardecki began writing for Drive4five In May of 2017. Christian covers Minor League Hockey and the Bridgeport Islanders for Drive4Five. Outside of Drive4Five, Christian was the captain of his High School Hockey team and currently attends Hofstra University with a major in journalism. Christian was the play by play broadcaster for the Danbury Westerners summer collegiate baseball team during their 2021 NECBL Championship. Christian also was the Public Address Announcer for the Danbury Hat Tricks Minor Pro Hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League and NAHL Junior team from 2019-21.
