Bridgeport Islanders Defeated by Checkers, Fall to 1-5-1
On Saturday night, the Charlotte Checkers defeated the Bridgeport Islanders again, winning 5-2. The Isles dropped to 1-5-1 with the loss, while the Checkers improved to 5-1-0. Just like Friday night, Charlotte’s special teams dominated.
Bridgeport made several lineup changes. Defenseman Isaiah George returned after missing a couple of games with an injury. Forward Julien Gauthier played his first AHL game of the season after getting sent down, though the team lost forwards Pierre Engvall and Hudson Fasching to call-ups.
The Checkers took control in the first 10 minutes. They scored a goal before the Islanders even managed a shot. At 6:57, Checkers defenseman Michael Benning sent a smooth pass to forward Oliver Okuliar, positioned right in front of Islanders goaltender Marcus Hogberg. Okuliar shifted from forehand to backhand and tucked in the opening goal. Impressively, the Checkers have scored first in five of their first six games.
The Islanders found a quick response, tying the score a couple of minutes later. Forward Alex Jefferies cycled a pass to Brian Pinho in the high slot, who then aimed high-blocker and found the back of the net. Pinho has now scored in three straight games. For Jefferies, it marked his team-leading sixth point of the season. Like Friday night, the teams entered the first intermission tied at one.
The middle frame gave the Islanders trouble. They took five minor penalties in the second period, and the Checkers capitalized, scoring on three of the ensuing power plays.
The first of these power-play goals came from forward Wilmer Skoog just 25 seconds into the period. Skoog powered past Wyatt Newpower and roofed a backhand shot behind Hogberg. Then, defenseman Ryan McAllister found the net with a well-timed point shot through a screen. Finally, a deflection by Kyle Criscuolo in the high slot added a third power-play goal for the Checkers.
In the third period, both teams traded goals. Criscuolo scored yet another power-play goal, while Islanders forward Fredrik Karlstrom added the final goal of the game at 5:03. Despite their late efforts, the Islanders couldn’t close the gap.
Benning earned the game’s first star with his goal and three assists. Criscuolo received the second star for scoring two power-play goals. Checkers goalie Cooper Black picked up the third star, saving 10 of 12 shots.
The Islanders will return to action on Oct. 30 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Fans can stream all AHL games on flohockey.tv.
Featured image courtesy of the Charlotte Checkers
Joey McAuliffe is a passionate Islander fan pursuing a Masters of Accounting in Buffalo, NY. His favorite player of all time is Jordan Eberle. He has followed the team closely since 2014, but he began regularly attending games during the 2006 season. Outside of hockey, Joey loves music and the Buffalo Bills.
