“You have to grind teams out, and I thought we did that. I just think we could have done a better job offensively,” Rocky Thompson
The Bridgeport Islanders averaged 3.6 goals per game in their final eight regular-season games to fuel their playoff push and secure the fourth spot in a home playoff game. They were shut out in that home playoff game, losing Game One 2-0 to the Hershey Bears. “I thought both teams played well; it was a tight-checking game,” Islanders head coach Rocky Thompson noted after the loss.
It was a great game where both teams were held scoreless until five minutes to go in the third period. The Islanders battled but their offense and execution came up short. “You have to grind teams out, and I thought we did that. I just think we could have done a better job offensively,” Thompson added postgame.
That’s where the Islanders will look to pivot as they turn the page to Game Two. They head to Hershey and have their backs to the wall. To even up the series and avoid elimination, the Islanders must play a simple game, and it won’t be easy. “It was probably a boring game, but that’s how we have to play; we don’t have to change anything. You just have to wear the other team down,” Bears head coach Derek King mentioned in a conversation with The Hockey News, one that fit their style of play.
Bridgeport’s Forecheck & Pressure Will Get Them Back
The Islanders turned their season around and became one of the best teams in the American Hockey League because they bought into Thompson’s system. That meant pressuring teams, playing a high-volume game, and getting to the net front for dirty-area goals. The Islanders only generated 18 shots on the net.
They pressured the Bears and held the puck in the offensive zone but they were overthinking the game. It’s why they couldn’t make the most of their opportunities. The top six have plenty of skill but oftentimes, they were looking for the extra pass or the cross-ice pass to beat Bears goaltender Clay Thompson.
The Islanders were the better team in the regular season and can prove it in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The best way to do that is by returning to the identity that made them a great team in the first place, which was a physical and high-pressure game. “That’s the playoffs, you have to be physical,” Thompson added after the game.
It’s a Learning Curve for the Prospects
Victor Eklund had three goals and seven assists in nine AHL games. Cole Eiserman had a goal and six assists in his final five regular-season games. Both prospects joined the team in March and learned the league quickly. But the playoffs are a different beast.
It showed as the Bears played a physical game and forced the Islanders to pivot. The skilled forwards weren’t getting the same open looks they got in the regular season. It’s why by the time the third period rolled around, Eklund was getting to the interior with Calum Ritchie, another top prospect in the New York Islanders system, looking for him with a centering pass from the outside of the offensive zone. Usually, a winger like Eklund isn’t getting to the dirty areas but he must in the playoffs.
These are the games that will be an adjustment and a measurement for how the prospects will hold up in the NHL. Ritchie was on the NHL team, and Eklund will probably be there by the start of next season. That said, the physical game is where they must improve and prove they can win at the next level.
The Challenge is Hershey, Who Played That Way Down The Stretch
The Bears play a simple road game where they get the puck in deep and check. It’s the identity they formed down the stretch to win games, and it’s where they are at their best. It’s why the Islanders' adjustment might be to lean into their speed and skill more so on the road with hopes of catching the Bears off guard.
The catch is that the Bears have the skill to match it with the Islanders if needed. “We can play either way,” King noted, and Henrik Rybinski, who assisted the game-winning goal by splitting the Islander defense on the rush, confirmed, “We can play any way but we’re at our best when we’re making smart plays at the lines.” The Bears are cutting down on mistakes at the right time, and it’s coming in handy as they head home for Game Two with a chance to advance to the next round. “You've got to make sure you get the blue lines, you don’t want to turn it over and give them a three-on-two,” Rybinski added.
The Islanders are on the brink of elimination and will head to Hershey. The Giant Center, especially in the playoffs, is a tough place to play but if there’s any way to silence the arena, it’s by playing the straightforward, fast-paced game. Just ask the Charlotte Checkers, who swept the Bears last season in the Atlantic Division Final.