The Bridgeport Report: Oct. 24, 2023

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (October 24, 2023) - The Bridgeport Islanders earned three points in as many games during their second week of the regular season, facilitated by key performances from Kyle MacLean and Matthew Maggio who both scored two goals. Jakub Skarek (2-1-1) started all three games in net including the home opener on Saturday night, in which the Islanders never trailed and defeated the Utica Comets in overtime.

In fact, two of the three games went past regulation. Robin Salo’s game-winning goal just 73 seconds into overtime on Saturday brought a rowdy crowd of nearly 4,100 fans to its feet inside Total Mortgage Arena. Maggio scored his first professional goal in the second period, MacLean posted two assists, and Skarek turned aside 26 shots. The Islanders have now won each of their last three home openers.\

Less than 24 hours later, Tanner Fritz scored his first goal back with the organization and Bridgeport earned one point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Hershey Bears at home. Maggio also recorded his second goal in as many days to help the Islanders bounce back from a 2-0 deficit. Jakub Skarek made 19 saves to cap his third consecutive start.

The Islanders began the week with a 4-2 loss to the Providence Bruins at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Wednesday. MacLean scored his first two goals of the season and the Isles took a 2-2 deadlock into the third period for a third straight game. Skarek had 28 saves.

Bridgeport currently sits fourth in the eight-team Atlantic Division with a 2-2-1-0 record, good for five points in five games.

The Islanders head to North Carolina this coming weekend for a two-game set against Florida’s affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers (2-2-0-0), at Bojangles Coliseum. The Atlantic Division rivals will tangle for the first time this season at 7 p.m. on Friday, and again at 6 p.m. on Saturday. All games can be seen live on AHLTV or heard for free on the Bridgeport Islanders Radio Network.

The Week Ahead:

Friday, Oct. 27th at Charlotte: The Islanders battle Charlotte in the first of eight meetings this season, and the first of four on the road. Bridgeport went 3-3-0-0 against the Checkers last season and 2-1-0-0 in those contests at Bojangles Coliseum.

Saturday, Oct. 28th at Charlotte: Same teams, same place, but an hour earlier. The Islanders and Checkers rematch at 6 p.m. on Saturday night. Bridgeport returns to North Carolina for a two-game set on Dec 15-16 and hosts the Checkers four times this season beginning Saturday, Jan. 6th.

Ice Chips

Leading the Way: Ruslan Iskhakov set up Matthew Maggio’s power-play goal in the second period on Sunday, giving him a team-best six points through five games. The 2023 AHL All-Star also shares the team lead in goals (2) and assists (4), and is tied for 13th in the league’s scoring race. Iskhakov, the New York Islanders’ 43rd overall pick in 2018, ranked third among all AHL rookies with 51 points in 69 games last season. His 34 assists ranked third on the club and were second-most among AHL rookies.

Maggio Heats Up: Twenty-year-old winger Matthew Maggio scored his first two professional goals this past weekend. His first pro goal came 9:31 into the second period on Saturday, a bar-down blast in his seventh pro game. Maggio, a fifth-round draft pick of the big club in 2022, has two goals and three assists in eight games with Bridgeport. He is the defending Ontario Hockey League Player of the Year, winning the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player last season. Maggio led the league with 54 goals and 111 points in 66 games as Windsor Spitfires captain.

Mac Attack: Kyle MacLean had four points (two goals, two assists) this past weekend including a pair of primary assists on Saturday. MacLean scored twice for the first time in his pro career on Wednesday in Providence, finishing off a pair of heavy blasts from the deep slot at even strength. The 24-year-old, who signed his first NHL contract with the New York Islanders in May, set professional career highs in goals (11), assists (16), points (27) and shots (99) last season. He also led the Islanders in shorthanded points (five). Both of his shots-on-goal Sunday afternoon came shorthanded.

Scary Season: Fifth-year goaltender Jakub Skarek has gone the distance in four of Bridgeport’s five games so far. In fact, as of today, Skarek leads all AHL netminders in minutes played (244:20) and ranks second in saves (97). The 23-year-old is 2-1-1 with a 2.46 goals-against-average and .907 save percentage this season.
 
Quick Hits: Tanner Fritz has points in back-to-back games and continues to climb up many franchise records… With a goal on Sunday, Fritz moved into a tie for ninth place on the team’s all-time scoring list with 137 points (47 goals, 90 assists)… He is sixth on the team’s all-time assists list, one behind Josh Ho-Sang (2016-20) for fifth… Captain Seth Helgeson played his 600th AHL game on Sunday… Robin Salo’s overtime-winning goal on Saturday was his second career game-winner – his only other one was the overtime-winner in the 2021 home opener.

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