Recap: Wolf Pack 6, Islanders 3
Mar 5, 2025William Dufour and Cam Thiesing each logged one goal and one assist on Wednesday, but the Bridgeport Islanders (12-37-3-3), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, came up short in a 6-3 loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack (23-26-5-2) at XL Center.
Alex Jefferies added his ninth goal of the season and fifth on the power play. The Islanders peppered Dylan Garand (15-7-6) with 41 shots, but the Hartford netminder made 38 saves to improve to 5-0-0 against Bridgeport this season.
Both Tristan Lennox (starter, no decision) and Hunter Miska (1-5-0) saw action for the Islanders.
Bridgeport has been outscored 7-0 in first periods over the last six games, including an early strike in transition from Chad Ruhwedel on Wednesday. The veteran defenseman took a cross-ice pass from Alex Belzile while moving through the right circle and blew a wrist shot past Lennox’s reaching glove just 6:36 into the game.
Belzile added another point at 9:16 of the second, slapping home a power-play goal from the left circle to make it 2-0. It was Belzile’s 100th career point with the Wolf Pack and his team-leading 50th marker of the season, tying Chris Terry and others for fourth most in the AHL.
Travis Mitchell was called for roughing at 12:20 of the second, giving Hartford a key opportunity to put the game away. However, the Islanders flipped the script when Liam Foudy sprung Thiesing down the right side and the latter whistled a shot past Garand’s reaching glove for a shorthanded goal. It was Thiesing’s third career goal, which made it 2-1 at the 13:10 mark.
The Wolf Pack answered with each of the next two goals. Dylan Roobroeck brushed a shot under Lennox at 16:57 of the second, assisted by Blade Jenkins and Adam Sykora. Hartford took its 3-1 lead through the intermission and into the third period, where they faced backup goalie Miska. Head coach Rick Kowalsky did not have an update on Lennox following the game.
Jaroslav Chmelar beat Muska’s glove just 1:15 into the third period to make it 4-1. William Dufour got the Islanders back within two at the 10:03 mark, sending a heavy wrist shot past Garand from between the circles following Thiesing’s pass on the right side. Wyatt Newpower was also credited with an assist on Dufour’s eighth goal of the season.
Blake McLaughlin snapped a 67-game goal scoring drought in the AHL less than two minutes later to make it 5-2. But Jefferies responded with a power-play goal at the 15:55 mark, erasing his own 15-game goal skid on assists from Dufour and Sam Bolduc. Bolduc launched a challenging shot from the parameter that Garand turned back, but Dufour got a piece before Jefferies muscled it over the blue line as the net became dislodged. Upon an officials’ review, the goal stood.
Bryce McConnell-Barker scored an empty-net goal with 2:16 remaining.
The Islanders went 1-for-3 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the kill. Bridgeport led in shots 41-31, but fell to 2-3-2-0 in the ‘Battle of Connecticut’ this season.
Next Time Out: The Islanders open a two-game homestead on Saturday night with "Star Wars Night" at Total Mortgage Arena. Puck drop is 7 p.m. against the Toronto Marlies. The game can be heard for free via the Bridgeport Islanders Radio Network or seen live on AHLTV on FloHockey, beginning with the Connecticut Lottery Pregame Countdown at 6:45 p.m.