The Bridgeport Islanders (13-39-4-3), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, suffered a 6-1 loss to the Belleville Senators (27-21-4-4) at CAA Arena on Friday.
Jack Randl scored his first AHL goal midway through the third period.
Leevi Meriläinen (13-7-3) made 20 saves for the Senators, while Belleville’s offense scored twice on the power play, once at four-on-four, and three times at five-on-five. The Islanders dropped to 0-3-0-0 in the season series.
The Senators cashed in on their first two power plays to take a 2-0 lead prior to the first intermission. Angus Crookshank deflected home his team-leading 20th goal of the season at the 4:40 mark, altering Garrett Pilon’s left-circle shot from the doorstep to beat Jakub Skarek (5-12-1). Tyler Boucher added his fourth goal of the season and first on the power play at 13:52, snapping a wrist shot off the post and in.
All-Star defenseman Jeremy Davies blew a slap shot past Skarek’s blocker from above the left hash marks to make it 3-0 at 9:31 of the second. The Senators added three more goals in the third period, all at five-on-five, from Max Guenette, Keean Washkurak, and Xavier Bourgault.
Jack Randl recorded his first AHL goal at 10:25 of the third period for Meriläinen’s only blemish. Cole Bardreau won a wall battle on the left side and centered a pass for Daylan Kuefler, who twisted a brilliant backhand feed to the doorstep where Randl flipped another backhander home. Kuefler finished the game a goal shy of the Gordie Howe hat trick, as he also fought Jorian Donovan late in the second period.
The Islanders went 0-for-7 on the power play after scoring in each of their last five games. The penalty kill was 1-for-3.
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