The Bridgeport Islanders (22-25-5-4), American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, scored a season-high seven goals in a 7-4 win against the Providence Bruins (28-15-3-3) at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Saturday.
Austin Czarnik scored twice and added an assist against his former team, helping Bridgeport record seven goals for the first time since Feb. 17, 2019, a 7-3 win against Charlotte. Andy Andreoff, Simon Holmstrom and Cole Bardreau contributed two assists each.
Jakub Skarek (14-11-4) made 21 saves in his team-leading 31st appearance of the season. Bridgeport improved to 4-3-0-2 in the head-to-head series and ended the Bruins’ six-game winning streak at home.
Samuel Bolduc was another one of six Islanders’ players to find the back of the net, and the former second-round draft pick of the New York Islanders opened the scoring with his second goal of the season just 7:07 into the game. Shortly after Bolduc’s early hooking penalty came to an end, Bardreau sprung the defenseman down the left wing and he converted with a low wrist shot, blocker side on Kyle Keyser (9-10-5) to make it 1-0.
The Bruins answered with each of the next three goals, including back-to-back tallies on the power play from Victor Berglund and Cameron Hughes. Chris Wagner also had an even-strength tally for Providence to build a 3-1 lead late in the first period.
Seth Helgeson cut the Islanders’ deficit to one in the final half-minute of the first with a snapshot from the left circle that he pushed under the pads of Keyser, which followed a remarkable backhand pass from Bardreau. It was Helgeson’s third goal of the season to make it 3-2 entering the first intermission.
The Islanders opened the floodgates with four goals in the span of 1:58 during the second period to propel themselves to a critical victory on the road. Richard Panik pocketed a Bruins’ turnover from the doorstep at the 14:32 mark before Arnaud Durandeau scored his 12th goal of the season, and fifth in the last seven games, at 15:28. Following a timeout taken by Providence head coach Ryan Mougenel, Bridgeport kept the pressure alive and scored twice on the power-play from Czarnik and Robin Salo just 28 seconds apart.
Justin Brazeau got one goal back for the Bruins at 13:58 of the third period, but Czarnik’s second of the night cancelled it out and ended the scoring at 17:32. Czarnik’s tally, which came against Jeremy Brodeur (no decision – entered the game in relief of Keyser), improved his totals to eight goals and 17 points in 22 games with Bridgeport.
The Islanders went 4-for-6 on the penalty kill and 2-for-4 on the power play, scoring twice in the same game for the first time since Nov. 6th.
Bridgeport outshot Providence 41-25.
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