Islanders fall to Wolf Pack, Ronning

Blade Jenkins scored twice and Anatoli Golyshev extended his scoring streak to three games, but the Bridgeport Islanders dropped a 7-4 decision to the Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday at the XL Center in Hartford. Jenkins, Golyshev and Richard Panik all beat goaltender Keith Kinkaid in the third of 10 meetings this season, while Ty Ronning and Tim Gettinger each scored twice for Hartford. Simon Holmstrom and Otto Koivula both had two assists for the Islanders.

Despite the loss, Bridgeport’s special teams was a bright spot to open the three-game weekend series, going 2-for-2 on the power play and a perfect 3-for-3 on the kill. The Islanders (3-40-2) scored at least one goal in every period, but allowed a season-high seven tallies, including four in the first.

Hartford (6-2-1-0) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the opening five minutes and led 4-2 at the first intermission. Tarmo Reunanen began the scoring at the 4:18 mark with his first goal of the season, converting a long-range wrist shot beyond the reaching glove of Jakub Skarek.

Golyshev’s fourth goal and fifth point in the last three games tied the contest at 1-1 when he capitalized on the power play at 7:07, just eight seconds after Gettinger went to the box for interference. Austin Czarnik won the ensuing faceoff and eventually set up Andy Andreoff at the goal line for a quick one-time pass to Golyshev in the slot. Golyshev leads the Islanders with five goals on the season.

The Wolf Pack recorded three of the next four goals, including two from Ronning at 11:18 and 19:08 of the period. Both came off giveaways in the Islanders’ zone, and both beat Skarek’s glove at even strength. Jenkins scored his first of the night at 12:25 of the opening period on a brilliant centering feed from Holmstrom, who sprung Jenkins between the circles for a shot off the post and in.