Islanders defeat Belleville Senators but lose to Charlotte and Lehigh Valley

Story By: Matthew Wiernasz

Photo Courtesy of the Bridgeport Islanders

BRIDGEPORT, CT- The Bridgeport Islanders defeated the Belleville Senators 5-1 last Thursday night at Total Mortgage Arena.

Luke Richardson was making his AHL debut for the Senators heading into last Thursday night’s game.

William Dufour would get the Islanders on the board in the first period as he fired the wrist shot that went past Richardson with 8:01 remaining in the first period to make it 1-0.

Reece Newkirk scored his first AHL goal 1:29 into the second period. Newkirk went on a 2-on-1 rush as he put in a rebound from Jeff Kubiak to make it 2-0.

After an Islanders penalty expired, Paul Thompson would be on a breakaway with the pass from Andy Andreoff. Thompson would be denied by Richardson but Islanders defenseman Grant Hutton would put in the rebound with the backhand to make it with 11:47 remaining in the second period.

Dufour would add his second goal of the game as he went on a 2-on-1 rush with Kyle MacLean.  Dufour would end up putting the puck in the back of the net to make it 4-0.

Mark Kastelic would score his first goal of the season on the power play for the Senators with 7:00 remaining in the second period to make it 4-1.

The Islanders would get a power play goal in the third period as Ruslan Iskhakov would score his 12th goal of the year with 14:33 remaining in regulation to make it 5-1.

The Islanders would take on the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday at Total Mortgage Arena and would lose to the Checkers 5-2.  On Sunday, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms came to Bridgeport.  The Islanders would go up 3-0 in the second period against the Phantoms as Cole Bardreau, William Dufour and Ruslan Iskhakov would score.  Iskhakov scored on a penalty shot.  The Phantoms would respond with four unanswered goals as Artem Anisimov scored the game-winning goal for the Phantoms with 4:27 remaining in regulation as the Phantoms would defeat the Islanders 4-3.

The Islanders will return to action on Thursday when they take on the Providence Bruins at Total Mortgage Arena