The Bridgeport Islanders were hitting on all cylinders on Friday (Feb. 2). For the second time in three days, they were able to get the win against the Springfield Thunderbirds at home at Total Mortgage Arena by a score of 5-1. The Islanders’ last four periods have likely been the best hockey they have played all season, as they have outscored the Thunderbirds 8-1 across that stretch. Here are some key takeaways from Friday’s game.
Goaltending Getting Hot
Henrik Tikkanen stood on his head for the Islanders on Friday night in his eighth AHL (American Hockey League) game. The 6-foot-8 goaltender, who started his season in the ECHL, let in just one goal while making 37 saves on the way to the win. After an up-and-down start to his AHL career, Tikkanen has caught fire: he has made over thirty saves and allowed fewer than two goals in each of his last four starts, leading the Islanders to a win in two of them. The Finnish netminder made some unbelievable stops on Friday, particularly in the second period, when he saved two shots that came on a clean breakaway and then made two acrobatic saves at the end of the second period while the Thunderbirds were on a 4-on-3.
Tikkanen is not the only Islanders’ goalie who has shown promise as of late. Jakub Skarek allowed two or fewer goals in three of his last four outings, the latest coming Wednesday against the Thunderbirds. The play the team has been receiving from their two goaltenders as we approach the All-Star break is a very encouraging sign for a team that ranks well into the bottom half of the league in goals allowed. Forward Cole Bardreau touched on the goaltending performances he has seen from his teammates as of late in his postgame press conference Friday, saying, “I can’t say good enough things about (Tikkanen), and obviously Skarek played great (on Wednesday night) too, in order for us to have success we’re definitely going to need those two to continue that.”
Offense is Getting Hot, Too
The Islanders have struggled offensively this season. Heading into Saturday’s game, they had the fewest goals scored of any AHL team. The fact that this was the case was perhaps an anomaly, however, as they rank 12th in the league with a solid 30.7 shots on goal per game. An optimistic Islanders fan would likely conjecture that their shooting percentage was bound to regress toward the mean, and more of their shots would begin finding the back of the net. If that is what you believe, the Islanders’ recent offensive performance is a positive indication that you are right. The team’s eight goals over their last four periods is easily their strongest stretch of hockey thus far this season.
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Bardreau has been a major reason for this newfound offensive spark; the vet has three goals and two assists in the Islanders’ last two games. He is not alone with his impressive offensive production as of late: Carsen Twarynski has also scored in two consecutive games (his only goals as a member of the Islanders), and Eetu Liukas has also had multi-point games in two straight. Tikkanen spoke about how the guys in front of him have helped him out, saying “It is way easier to win games if you are up by a couple goals. It relaxes me, and probably the team too a little bit. It makes it a lot easier to be out there.”
Building Momentum
Friday’s win marked the first time the Islanders have won two consecutive games at home all season. While that is not a feat that any AHL team wants to accomplish for the first time in February, it is indicative that the team may be starting to click just in time for the second half of the season. The Islanders dug themselves a hole with a poor start to their 2023-24 season, but these last few games have been encouraging. Their final matchup before the All-Star break will come Saturday when they play the Hershey Bears on the road. The Bears have the best record in the AHL at the moment, but the Islanders have reason to feel confident. Tikkanen ended Friday’s interview with a sense of optimism that fans should share, as he said, “It’s been great for us to finally get a couple wins in a row, and I’m pretty sure we are going to get the third one tomorrow.”
