The Bridgeport Islanders lost to the Springfield Thunderbirds 5-3 on Wednesday morning, dropping their record to 2-6-1-1. Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds improved to 4-7-0-0.

The puck dropped at 10:36 a.m. at a sold-out MassMutual Center. This large turnout was due to the Thunderbirds’ “School Day Game,” which filled the arena with hundreds of energetic school kids.

However, despite the lively crowd, it was the Islanders who came out strong in the first period. Forward Brian Pinho opened the scoring just 5:17 into the game. He blasted a one-timer from the high slot past Thunderbirds goalie Colten Ellis on a power play, with assists from Alex Jefferies and Chris Terry.

Following this early lead, the Islanders kept up the pressure and took the game’s next 11 shots. First, Travis Mitchell forced a turnover in the neutral zone and scored on a breakaway. Then, just five minutes later, Pinho deflected a pass from Wyatt Newpower into the net, giving the Islanders a commanding 3-0 lead. At the end of the opening frame, the Islanders outshot Springfield 16-6.

Like many games this year, the second period was a bugaboo for the Bridgeport Islanders. The young crowd eagerly awaited a reason to cheer, and they got it 4:47 into the second period.

Unfortunately for the Islanders, a sloppy play in the neutral zone led to a 2-on-0 break for the Thunderbirds. Nikita Alexandrov took advantage of the opportunity, burying a pass from Matthew Peca behind Isles goalie Jakub Skarek and igniting the crowd.

From then on, Springfield continued to press throughout the second period, creating numerous chances. It was only a matter of time before their pressure paid off.

At 9:26, defenseman Hunter Skinner fired a shot from the point that Skarek couldn’t see through a screen. Although the Islanders responded with a few good chances, especially from William DuFour, they couldn’t find the back of the net.

Just four minutes after Skinner’s goal, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki scored shorthanded, knocking the puck past Skarek after a flurry of shots. As a result, the teams entered the third period tied at three.

In the final period, both teams traded chances. Once again, DuFour had several opportunities to give the Islanders the lead, but he couldn’t capitalize.

Finally, with under 10 minutes left, Alexandrov cycled the puck in front of Skarek, and Peca tapped it in, sending the MassMutual Center into a frenzy.

The Islanders desperately searched for an equalizer in the final minutes. However, the Thunderbirds sealed the game with an empty-net goal by Dalibor Dvorsky, securing a 5-3 victory.

For his game-winning goal, Matthew Peca earned the first star. Additionally, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, with a goal and an assist, took the second star. Finally, Islanders forward Brian Pinho earned the third star for his two first-period goals.

The Bridgeport Islanders will return to action this Friday, Nov. 6 against the Providence Bruins. All AHL games are available on FloHockey.tv

Image Courtesy of the Springfield Thunderbirds

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.