After a tough 4–1 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Bridgeport Islanders return to the ice at the Giant Center to take on the Hershey Bears in their 2025–26 regular season finale.
And while it may be the last game of the regular season, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
If Bridgeport wins, they clinch home-ice advantage for the opening round. If Hershey wins tonight and tomorrow, the Bears take it instead. There’s also a matchup wrinkle—if Hershey drops both games and the Springfield Thunderbirds defeat the Hartford Wolf Pack, Bridgeport will face Springfield in the first round.
Between the pipes for head coach Rocky Thompson is Semyon Varlamov, making just his second professional appearance since 2024. Varlamov impressed earlier this week against Hartford, stopping 18 of 20 shots in a 5–2 Islanders win. On the other side, the Bears turn to Clay Stevenson as they push for home ice in front of their crowd.
One major storyline to watch: Daniil Prokhorov, the New York Islanders’ 2025 second-round pick, will make his North American debut. It’s an early opportunity to see if he’s ready to contribute when the intensity ramps up in the postseason.
The opening period tilted heavily in favor of the Hershey Bears, who generated quality looks right from the start—including a high-danger chance on their very first shot. But Semyon Varlamov stood tall, turning aside several strong opportunities to keep the game scoreless. A scary moment came midway through the period when Daniil Prokhorov—making his North American debut—took a one-timer off the leg. He stayed down for a while and was forced to leave the game for the remainder of the first period.
The second period was much more even, and Bridgeport would score first as Adam Beckman put one home on a rebound to make it 1-0 Bridgeport. Cole Eiserman extended his point streak to five games. Later on, Henrik Rybinski would score on the power play to make it 1-1. An important note from this period is that Prokhorov started on the bench, played one shift, left the ice shortly after, and did not return.
The third period followed a similar script, featuring plenty of back-and-forth action with both goaltenders rising to the occasion. Semyon Varlamov continued to shine, turning aside several high-quality chances and looking every bit like a legitimate NHL-caliber backup option.
The breakthrough came off the stick of Calle Odelius, who buried his first goal of the season to give Bridgeport a 2–1 lead. The play started with a point shot that found its way through traffic and past the netminder—a big moment for the young Swede.
With the net empty, Varlamov slammed the door with an unbelievable save on a tough bounce, preserving the lead. After weathering a late push, the Bridgeport Islanders held on for a 2–1 victory.
No matter the outcome, Bridgeport has already secured at least one home game in the opening round of the playoffs. Dates and times will be announced soon.