Revisiting the 12-Step Program to Turn Around the Bridgeport Islanders: The Steps They Took to Return to Contention

The Bridgeport Islanders were a historically bad team in the American Hockey League last season. They won 16 games and four games at home. Fittingly, they won 10 games in a row at home to clinch their spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. 

As last season wrapped up, they looked like a mess that needed a lot of work to improve. I wrote up a 12-step program to fix the Islanders, similar to the 12-step program for addicts. While they didn’t nail every step, they addressed most of them to return to the playoffs. So, let’s revisit those steps and how the Islanders have done as they currently sit in fourth place in the Atlantic Division. 

In the past seasons, the plan was to fling the puck on the net from the point and hope for the best. Maybe a deflection, a tip in, or a rebound would be available and the offense would work from there. They had one of the worst offenses in the AHL. 

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This season, when the Islanders get the puck into the offensive zone, they move it with more purpose. There’s a motivation to get the puck to the interior of the offensive zone and more importantly, crash the net to finish scoring chances. It’s how Matthew Highmore and Adam Beckman have generated most of their offense this season and found the back of the net. 

Checking was one of the few things the Islanders did well last season. They would get the puck in deep and set up the forecheck. It mirrored the New York Islanders and their chip and chase style so by that measurement, what they were doing was a success. 

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This season, the Islanders forecheck with a purpose. The intention is to generate pressure and offensive zone chances by forcing turnovers and setting up the offense. Like the dirty-area goals, an established forecheck that works has been key to a revitalized offense. 

This is something the Islanders still have to work on. The elite teams in the AHL forecheck but also backcheck well. It’s how the Hershey Bears became a Calder Cup winning team under Todd Nelson and how the Providence Bruins ended up with the best record in the AHL this season. The Islanders struggle to backcheck and it’s why they allow plenty of scoring chances the other way. 

This is another area where the Islanders have struggled but in fairness they’ve improved since the start of the season. When Ethan Bear, who missed a few months with an injury, joined the team in January, the defense immediately improved as they added a veteran who plays the position well and also leads by example. He sets the tone defensively and the young defensemen follow suit. 

This is also an area that improved when Bear joined the team. Likewise, Isaiah George and Travis Mitchell, two prospects still learning the position, handled the puck better as the season went on and it’s given the Islanders a better transition game, which is what they want to set up their offense. 

The goaltending last season, without being too harsh, was some of the worst in the AHL. It was a weakness that always let the Islanders down. This season, Henrik Tikkanen has provided some stability, enough to prevent the goaltending from letting them down. 

This is the biggest change from last season and the one that changed the Islanders. They hired Rocky Thompson, who runs a unique style but one that works in the AHL. He wants the team to play a high-volume high-pressure game and when it works, it’s tough to stop. It took time for the players to buy in but once they did, the Islanders went on a run that put them in the playoffs. 

Matthew Maggio is having a rough season, or more accurately, a mixed bag season. He started out hot and was playing with a renewed confidence. With four goals and 15 assists in 25 games, he looked like someone who could eventually become a third or fourth liner for the NHL team. Then, Maggio hit a wall and was a healthy scratch down the stretch, leaving him with an uncertain future with the team.

Alex Jefferies meanwhile has a resurgence under Thompson. While his offense doesn’t stand out with only nine goals and 20 assists in 52 games, he’s stepped up on both ends and looked like a two-way player the team was hoping he’d become out of college. 

Last season, the Islanders wouldn’t drop their top prospects into that situation. They had a team that prevented prospects from taking steps forward. They had a plan in place for Cole Eiserman and Victor Eklund, both of whom joined the team in March. Eklund kicked off the ground running and proved he could drive play from the wing regardless of his linemates, which explains his recent call up. Eiserman needed more time but the Islanders made sure to play him on the Highmore and Matt Luff line from the start as both skilled forwards could ease him into the AHL. 

Speaking of Luff, he was a midseason addition in a trade with the rival Springfield Thunderbirds who took the offense up a notch. The same is true about Perrick Dube, who joined the team midseason. But along with the big-name veterans, the Islanders have gotten a boost from the depth forwards, players like Daylan Kuefler, Cam Theising, and longtime Bridgeport forward Chris Terry, who add that extra layer of offense. 

The Islanders can win with pressure and by getting to the net front, especially when they get space in the neutral zone to beat opponents on the rush. They might allow five goals in a game, or multiple goals in one period but they can also run up the score as well. They’ve leaned into that style of play and it’s worked for the most part. It’s similar to the way the Charlotte Checkers play albeit with a less-skilled group. 

This is the ultimate reason the Islanders are making the playoffs. The players have bought into the coaching and the systems they run and it’s made them a fun team to watch. Moreover, they’ve become a fascinating story in the AHL, a team that is playing its last in Bridgeport but could end the year on a high note, something few saw coming a year ago.