Former Checkers forward Matt Luff scored in his first shift as an Islander, breaking the ice at 1:14. Luff was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the New York Islanders on Tuesday, reporting to Bridgeport ahead of Wednesday’s game.
Nate Smith evened the game for Charlotte at 5:46, pouncing on a loose puck following a shot from Mikulas Hovorka. Smith’s ninth goal of the season was his third goal in the last four periods.
Adam Beckman restored Bridgeport’s lead 15:38 into the second period, burying his team-leading 20th goal of the season after a chaotic sequence. Despite outshooting Bridgeport 10-7 in the middle stanza, Charlotte trailed heading into the third period.
Pierrick Dube added an insurance marker for the Islanders at 9:04, but Noah Gregor delivered an immediate response for Charlotte. Gregor’s fifth goal of the season came 34 seconds after Dube’s tally off a great feed from Mike Benning.
Brian Pinho, who spent the last two seasons in Bridgeport, sent the game to overtime with his eighth goal of the season at 18:32. In overtime, the Islanders were given the game’s first power play and cashed in with Beckman’s second of the night at 1:35 of the extra session.
Cooper Black made 24 saves in the overtime loss.
