Bridgeport Islanders End 2024 with Split Weekend, Comeback Win
After snapping their nine-game losing streak last weekend, the Bridgeport Islanders split their final two games of 2024. They lost Friday’s matchup to the Providence Bruins 4-1 but rebounded with a 7-5 victory against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Saturday. The win over Springfield marked their first comeback victory of the season.
Jakub Skarek started in net for Rick Kowalsky’s squad on Friday, allowing four goals on 31 shots. Despite trailing 2-0 after two periods, the game remained within reach.
At 5:50 of the third period, Tyce Thompson scored to cut Providence’s lead in half. The B-Isles pressed for the game-tying goal, but they never found the back of the net. The Bruins pulled further ahead with two goals from Tyler Pitlick and Riley Tufte, sealing Bridgeport’s 4-1 loss.
The Islanders bounced back on Saturday, defeating Springfield in a thrilling 7-5 contest. Both teams traded goals and leads throughout the game. Despite falling behind 2-1 and 3-2, the Islanders found a way to secure the win. Islanders prospect Matthew Maggio played a pivotal role.
Maggio tallied a career-high four points (two goals, two assists) in the game, including the go-ahead goal with 16:20 left in the third period. This performance came despite being scratched the game before by Kowalsky. Contributions came from across the lineup, with 11 players recording at least one point. Liam Foudy stood out, scoring twice.
Goalie Henrik Tikkanen’s performance wasn’t flawless, but he did enough to earn his first AHL win of the season. Tikkanen stopped 31 of 36 shots and recorded a secondary assist on Maggio’s game-winning goal. Newly acquired forward Gemel Smith had a productive weekend, notching three assists across both games. Marc Gatcomb also stood out, scoring his ninth goal of the season — matching his career high from last year with the Abbotsford Canucks.
The Bridgeport Islanders return to action on Saturday, Jan. 4, at home against the Rochester Americans. Puck drop is at 5 p.m., and all AHL games can be streamed on FloHockey.tv.
Featured image courtesy of the Bridgeport Islanders
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.
