T-Birds Stifled by Islanders, 4-1
November 1, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Thunderbirds News Release
Springfield Thunderbirds' Simon Robertsson and Bridgeport Islanders' Grant Hutton in action
(Springfield Thunderbirds)
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Springfield Thunderbirds (3-6-0-0) had few answers for a desperate opponent as the Bridgeport Islanders (2-5-1-1) skated away 4-1 winners on Friday night inside the MassMutual Center.
After winning eight of the 12 meetings last season, the Islanders were hoping to pick up right where they left off, and Wyatt Newpower did just that with a seeing-eye wrist shot that clanged off the underside of the crossbar behind Vadim Zherenko just 2:27 into the opening period.
Despite the early deficit, the T-Birds were not ruffled, and 19-year-old Dalibor Dvorsky answered with a skillful finish just 44 seconds later to tie the score. After Reece Newkirk won puck possession in a board battle, Nikita Alexandrov arrived to slip a pass in front of the net to Dvorsky, who lifted a deft backhand under the crossbar with pressure on his back. The rookie's fourth goal of the season tied the score, 1-1, at 3:11.
The Islanders continued to show desperation in the middle period, as they registered 16 shots in the middle period to Springfield's seven. On their second power play of the stanza, Bridgeport retook the lead as Fredrik Karlstrom tapped home a pass from Alex Jefferies to cap off a tic-tac-toe play at 12:01. Chris Terry started the sequence with a firm pass to Jefferies from the left circle. From his position in the right circle, Jefferies tapped the puck into the blue paint, where Karlstrom finished the play to make it 2-1.
Brian Pinho secured an all-important insurance goal in the dying seconds of the period with a terrific individual effort, chipping a puck around a defender at the offensive blue line, cutting in alone on Zherenko, and scooping a shot under the crossbar to make it a 3-1 game with just 13 seconds left in the frame.
Springfield upped its shot quantity in the final 20 minutes and drew a third power play chance. Still, the struggles continued on the man advantage, and the Islanders added further insurance when Isaiah George garnered his first AHL goal at 15:23 of the third. Zherenko finished his busy night with 31 stops.
The T-Birds return to the Thunderdome on Saturday night for their first meeting of the season against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The first 2,500 fans in the building will receive a Boomer for President bobblehead, compliments of MassLive. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.
Interested 2024-25 season ticket members can call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn how to become a regular at the Thunderdome.
-- SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS -
Images from this story
 Springfield Thunderbirds' Simon Robertsson and Bridgeport Islanders' Grant Hutton in action |
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from November 1, 2024
- Stars Suffer First Road Loss in Colorado - Texas Stars
- Moose Downed, 4-2, To Admirals - Manitoba Moose
- Eagles Roar Back for 5-3 Win Over Texas - Colorado Eagles
- Amerks Dismantle Comets to Win Third Straight - Rochester Americans
- Ads Stop Moose for Seventh Straight Win - Milwaukee Admirals
- Griffins Suffer First Home Loss to Rockford, 4-1 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Bridgeport Islanders Earn 4-1 Win Over the Springfield Thunderbirds - Bridgeport Islanders
- Syracuse Crunch Defeat Hartford Wolf Pack, 3-2 - Syracuse Crunch
- Anton Blidh Strikes Shorthanded, But Wolf Pack Fall to Crunch 3-2 in Overtime - Hartford Wolf Pack
- P-Bruins Fended off by Rocket - Providence Bruins
- T-Birds Stifled by Islanders, 4-1 - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Comets Lose to Americans, 8-1 - Utica Comets
- Rockford Topples Grand Rapids 4-1 on the Road - Rockford IceHogs
- Henderson Silver Knights to Participate in Movember & Announce Plans for Hockey Fights Cancer Game - Henderson Silver Knights
- Iowa Wild Names Captains for 2024-25 Season - Iowa Wild
- Belleville Sens Joining TMHF to #ScopeForHope on Hockey Fights Cancer Night 2024 - Belleville Senators
- Kerins, Graf, Askarov Named AHL Award Winners for October - AHL
- Defenseman Gavin White Returns to Texas Stars from Idaho - Texas Stars
- Game Preview: Condors v Coachella Valley, 7 p.m. - Bakersfield Condors
- Morning Skate Report: November 1, 2024 - Henderson Silver Knights
- American Hockey League Joins NHL, NHLPA in 26th Annual Hockey Fights Cancer Celebration Month - AHL
- Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose Launch 2024 Hockey Fights Cancer Campaign - Manitoba Moose
- Predators Sign Wiesblatt to Two-Year Deal - Milwaukee Admirals
- Wolf Pack Make Lone Visit to Syracuse to Battle Crunch - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Panthers Assign Patrick Giles to Charlotte - Charlotte Checkers
- Preview: Islanders at Thunderbirds - Bridgeport Islanders
- Sea-Ya Gulls, Wranglers Notch Ninth Win in a Row - Calgary Wranglers
- IceHogs End Road Trip in Grand Rapids - Rockford IceHogs
- Gulls Swept at Calgary - San Diego Gulls
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
