The Bridgeport Islanders came up just short against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night. The game ended in a shootout, with a final score of 4-3. This loss dropped the Isles to 1-5-1-1 and lifted the Pens to 5-2-0-0.

The Penguins opened the first period with energy, taking the game’s first seven shots. Two of these shots beat Isles goaltender Marcus Hogberg. Pens forward Ville Koivunen scored the night’s first goal at 1:10. He redirected a spinning point shot by forward Rutger McGroarty, earning McGroarty’s first AHL point. Ninety seconds later, Pens forward Corey Andonovski forced a turnover on the forecheck. Andonovski gained control of the puck behind Hogberg and quickly threw it into the slot. Jonathan Gruden was ready and banged in his first goal of the season, putting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton up 2-0.

After the second goal, however, the arena’s atmosphere shifted. The Islanders started creating their own scoring chances. Julien Gauthier, Chris Terry, and Liam Foudy kept the Penguins’ net busy with shots. Still, no first-period shots made it past Penguins goalie Tristian Jarry.

The Islanders carried their momentum into the second period and quickly drew a penalty on Pens defenseman Justin Lee. At 3:00, Isles defenseman Samuel Bolduc took a point shot that beat Jarry high. He scored on the powerplay, marking his first goal of the season. The Islanders pressed on with their momentum after halving the lead. Foudy especially generated several scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.

However, a sloppy line change at 11:46 led to a “too many men on the ice” penalty. Surprisingly, this penalty turned into a scoring chance for the Islanders. At 12:30, forward Brian Pinho took an unexpected shot from the offensive corner that slipped under Jarry. Jarry appeared in position but couldn’t make the save. This shorthanded goal, Pinho’s fifth of the season, marked a key moment. Just minutes later, Fredrik Karlstrom gave the Islanders their first lead by finishing a Julien Gauthier feed on a two-on-one. This marked Karlstrom’s fourth goal of the season.

In the third period, the Penguins ramped up pressure on Hogberg, needing to overcome a one-goal deficit. Shots against Hogberg began piling up, and eventually, the defense broke. At 13:24, Gruden scored his second goal on a wild bounce in front of Hogberg. Neither team managed to score for the remainder of the third period or in overtime, despite both sides receiving powerplay chances during the extra frame.

In the shootout, the Penguins scored on their first two attempts. Koivunen and Emil Bemstrom both found the back of the net. Matt Maggio beat Jarry for the Isles, but Chris Terry and Alex Jefferies couldn’t solve the NHL veteran. The Isles fell in the shootout 2-1.

Ville Koivunen earned the game’s first star for his opening goal and shootout contribution. Jonathan Gruden received the second star for his two goals, while Islander Brian Pinho earned the third star for his goal and assist.

The Islanders will return to action on the road against the Springfield Thunderbirds this Friday, Nov. 1. The game is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. Meanwhile, the Penguins face the Hartford Wolf Pack at home on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 6:05 p.m. All AHL games are available to stream on flohockey.tv.

Image Courtesy of the Bridgeport Islanders

Highlights Courtesy of The Bridgeport Islanders Youtube Channel

Joey McAuliffe

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.