The Bridgeport Report: Week 1
Oct 17, 2023
The Bridgeport Islanders showed lots of persistence and promise this past weekend, opening the 2023-24 regular season with a 1-1-0-0 record on the road. The Islanders beat the Rochester Americans in overtime on Friday night before falling to the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday.
Ruslan Iskhakov scored twice in Friday’s season opener in Rochester, including the overtime-winning goal just 21 seconds in, lifting Bridgeport to a 4-3 victory at Blue Cross Arena. Brian Pinho chipped in a career-high four points (four assists) in his Islanders’ debut and Dennis Cholowski recorded one goal and two assists. Jakub Skarek (1-0-0) made 24 saves and has now won five of his last seven decisions dating back to last season.
Bridgeport outshot the Amerks 42-27 and went 1-for-2 on the man advantage. Arnaud Durandeau’s clutch game-tying goal came on the power play late in the third period to force overtime and ultimately put the Islanders in a position to capitalize.
Less than 24 hours later, Pinho and Iskhakov found the scoresheet again in a 4-2 loss to the Syracuse Crunch at the Upstate Medical University Arena. Pinho and Jackson Cates each scored their first goal with the Islanders, while Iskhakov had two assists for his second straight multi-point game. Ken Appleby (0-1-0) made 33 saves in his season debut between the pipes.
Both games were tied 2-2 after the second period and up for grabs for most of the third.
The Islanders complete a three-game road trip on Wednesday night with a 7:05 p.m. matchup against the Providence Bruins (0-1-0-1) at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Bridgeport returns to Total Mortgage Arena for its first two home games this weekend, hosting the Utica Comets (0-1-1-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m. and the Hershey Bears (1-1-0-0) at 3 p.m. Sunday. All games can be seen live on AHLTV or heard for free on the Bridgeport Islanders Radio Network.
The Week Ahead:
Wednesday, Oct. 18th at Providence: The Islanders face Boston’s affiliate for the first of 12 meetings and their first game within the Atlantic Division. Bridgeport went 6-6-0-0 against Providence last season and 4-2-0-0 in those games on the road. The Bruins are the defending Atlantic Division regular-season champs.
Saturday, Oct. 21st vs. Utica: The Islanders celebrate their home opener this Saturday with a 7 p.m. matchup against the Utica Comets (New Jersey Devils). Fan fest kicks things off at 4:30 p.m. with live music from Herman & Company, food trucks, and activities for the whole family. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the first 5,000 fans will receive a 2023-24 magnet schedule courtesy of Badaracco Plumbing. Tickets are on sale now.
Sunday, Oct. 22nd vs. Hershey: Opening weekend at Total Mortgage Arena continues less than 24 hours later with a 3 p.m. puck drop against the defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears. Stick around after the game to meet many of the 2023-24 Islanders with the first of four post-game autograph sessions in the atrium. Get your single-game tickets now and family packs are also available for every Sunday home game.
Ice Chips
Open Road: This is the seventh straight season that Bridgeport has started on the road and the third straight season that begins with at least three consecutive road games. The club hadn’t won a season opener on the road since Oct. 12, 2012, at Connecticut (Hartford Wolf Pack). The Islanders went 17-12-6-1 away from Total Mortgage Arena last season.
High Fives: Ruslan Iskhakov and Brian Pinho each scored a team-high five points over the weekend and are currently tied for the league lead. Iskhakov had two goals and three assists including his third career game-winning goal on Friday, and his first AHL overtime winner. The 23-year-old ranked fourth on the Islanders in points last season (51), fifth in goals (17) and third in assists (34). Meanwhile, newcomer Brian Pinho had one goal and four assists in his first two games with the team.
Pinho’s Productive Debut: Five players made their Bridgeport Islanders debut on Friday, including sixth-year forward Brian Pinho, who had never recorded more than two assists in any of his 225 career AHL games prior to the season opener. Pinho notched two primary assists and two secondary helpers, setting Bridgeport’s franchise record for points in a team debut. The 28-year-old signed a one-year, two-way deal with the New York Islanders in July after collecting 28 points (10g, 18a) in 53 games with Utica last season.
El Durandeau: The Islanders had scored a power-play goal in four straight games prior to Saturday night, including Arnaud Durandeau’s late tally in the third period against Rochester. It extended Durandeau’s scoring streak to a career-high nine games dating back to last season (six goals, eight assists). The 24-year-old winger has six goals in his last five games since Apr. 12, 2023. Four of those have come on the man advantage.
Quick Hits: Eetu Liukas, the New York Islanders’ fifth-round draft pick in 2021, made his AHL debut on Friday, recording two shots… William Dufour posted a game-high and professional career-high eight shots on Friday… Three of the Islanders’ first four games are against North Division teams, where the team went 6-3-1-0 in 2022-23… Bridgeport will play seven straight games against Atlantic Division teams beginning Sunday afternoon versus Hershey… Seth Helgeson is scheduled to play his 600th AHL game this coming Sunday.
Across the Sound: The New York Islanders (1-0-0) edged the Buffalo Sabres in their season opener on Saturday, battling to a 3-2 win at UBS Arena. Former Bridgeport forwards Casey Cizikas and Brock Nelson each scored at even strength, including Cizikas’ game-winner in the final seven minutes of regulation. Nelson had two points (one goal, one assist) and Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves. The Islanders return to action tonight with a 7:30 p.m. matchup against the Arizona Coyotes on Long Island.
By Alan Fuehring | Bridgeport Islanders