Recap: Islanders 3, Rocket 0

Oct 24, 2021

Anatolii Golyshev scored twice, and Jakub Skarek stopped all 37 shots he faced as the Bridgeport Islanders (2-2-0-2), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, blanked the Laval Rocket (3-2-0-0), 3-0, at Webster Bank Arena on Sunday.

 

Chris Terry put the exclamation point on a solid team effort with his team-leading fourth goal of the season (empty net), while Robin Salo added two assists in Bridgeport’s second straight win.

 

It was Skarek's second career AHL shutout.

 

BOX SCORE

 

Scoring chances were hard to come by in the first period, with the best opportunity occurring when Laval’s Danick Martel received a stretch-pass on a partial breakaway and got off a quick shot, but Skarek caught it to keep the game scoreless.

 

Bridgeport had an opportunity of its own when Erik Brown picked up a loose puck and skated in on a breakaway late in the opening frame, but he was denied by Cayden Primeau’s right leg. The game remained scoreless after one period.

 

Golyshev got the Islanders on the board first at 11:27 of the second period when he received Salo’s pass near the blue line and walked into a wrist shot that beat Primeau on the short side. It was Golyshev’s second goal of the season.

 

Skarek was called into action again early in the third period, denying Gabriel Bourque on a shorthanded break to preserve the Islanders’ lead. Less than two minutes later, Golyshev recorded his second of the afternoon when Otto Koivula forced a turnover in the offensive zone and passed to Simon Holmstrom, who laid the puck off to Golyshev who buried it.

 

Golyshev briefly tied Terry for the team lead with his third goal of the season, but Terry put the nail in the coffin with an empty netter at 18:26 of the third period.

 

Bridgeport outshot Laval 38-37 and killed both Rocket power plays. The Islanders were 0-for-3 on the man advantage.