Surprisingly, the Bridgeport Islanders have played well in their last few games and have regained some ground in the standings. They won two of their three games on the road trip to Pennsylvania with a score of 6-1. beating of Hershey bears on November 15 and a 5-2 victory against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins the next day. Then, in their last match, they earned a point with a 3-2 loss on November 23 in the shootout against the Charlotte Checkers.

Related: 3 reasons why the Bridgeport Islanders offense has improved

The Islanders are still in last place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 4-10-1-2. However, this team looks different from the one that was the worst in the division last season. The Islanders have the players in place and the talent to make the playoffs, even in a division that promises to be competitive.

Bridgeport can score

Statistically, the Islanders have a below-average offense, averaging just 2.88 goals per game. Recent games have shown that he has turned a corner with 21 goals in the last six games, including six goals in the victory against the Bears. Offense is something the team can rely on to win games and regain ground in the standings.

Brian Pinho leads the offense with 10 goals and six assists, but there’s more to the offense than just the veteran forward. Chris Terry is back with the Islanders and has 13 assists while Alex Jefferies and Fredrik Karlstrom have 11 goals and seven assists. While the defense saw a handful of skaters come and go, Samuel Bolduc and Wyatt Newpower became the playmakers with five goals and 10 assists.

Last season, the Islanders failed to score and they also struggled on defense. Defense remains an issue, but the good news is they can win games on offense. This is how this team can play well down the stretch and push for a playoff spot.

Young skaters will complete the list

The Islanders have played many close games and have done so without receiving much from the Islanders. William DufourMatthew Maggio or defender Calle Odelius, three of their best prospects. The three skaters totaled just three goals and nine assists and all struggled on the defensive side of the ice. Maggio started to turn a corner in the last few games, but Dufour struggled and that’s why he was left out of the November 23 game against the Checkers.

All three skaters will find their place as the season progresses and will not only find important roles within the roster, but will make it one of the most complete in the American Hockey League (AHL). Once the trio of prospects is in place, the Islanders will accumulate victories. Dufour is a scorer who can take advantage of open looks and Maggio is a complete striker who can do it all. Likewise, Odelius can move the puck up the ice and become a scoring threat on the blue line while shutting down opposing attacks. The young defenseman is learning the AHL game on the job, but with each game he continues to adjust and improve.

The Islanders have a youth movement that helps their NHL team with Isaiah George leads the way. The same thing is about to happen in the AHL squad, with many young skaters filling key roles. When they do, this team will run.

Hogberg adds stability to goaltenders

The defense is a mess, allowing opponents to generate shots on net at will and overwhelm goaltenders. That’s why the Islanders are allowing 3.76 goals per game, one of the worst marks in the AHL. That said, goaltender Marcus Hogberg was a bright spot. He’s a journeyman goaltender who has bounced around the AHL and NHL, but has proven he can win games and keep games close.

He has only one victory this season but three overtime losses, a sign that he can keep the Islanders within reach and allow them to pick up some points. More importantly, he had many solid performances with 37 saves on October 19 against the Hartford Wolf Pack, 38 saves on October 30 against the Penguins, and 32 saves in the last game against the Checkers.

Jakub Skarek has his ups and downs as the Islanders’ other goaltender, but Hogberg has added some stability. It’s because of him that the Islanders will win low-scoring games and, in many games, force overtime to gain much-needed points.

Who Bridgeport can pass to make the playoffs

The Islanders are a great division, one that features back-to-back games Calder Cup Champions in the Bears and several teams that seem capable of winning a championship. The problem is that the Atlantic Division, as good as it is, is divided into two groups, the contenders and the bottomfeeders. As a result, three teams will be fighting for the division’s final playoff spot and that’s a low bar to clear.

The Springfield Thunderbirds have struggled throughout the season. Given the focus on the NHL team with the St. Louis Blues replace their head coach hoping to keep a competitive window open, the Thunderbirds have little room to improve. Likewise, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms aren’t looking great this season either. If both teams continue to play poorly, the Islanders can sneak into the playoffs with a respectable finish to the season.

The Islanders have the pieces in place to be a playoff team. If the coaching staff can resolve some of the issues within the team, including making the defense good enough to avoid late game collapses, the Islanders will be good enough to make the playoffs.