Toronto Maple Leafs Fall To New York Islanders 4-3
Toronto has underperformed this season. The Islanders caught them at the right time and won this game 4-3. The biggest news for the Islanders before their game with Toronto was who was not playing. Bo Horvat is listed as day-to-day. In the good news department, Bo Horvat skated with the Islanders before this game. Also missing this game with Toronto was Ilya Sorokin, the Islander’s star goaltender.
Sorokin backed up starting Goaltender David Rittich. Both of these items were good news for the Islanders, who can ill afford injuries. Do you think Horvat and Sorokin will be back in the next game?
Toronto-Islanders Scoring Summary
Toronto entered the game with the Islanders on a two-game winning streak. They shut out the New Jersey Devils 4-0 on Tuesday and defeated the Winnipeg Jets 6-5 on Thursday. The relatively hot Islanders had a terrible outing in a 7-2 loss to Utah their last time out. Here is a scoring summary for the game.
In the first period, no goals were scored, and the period was fairly evenly played. Things changed somewhat in the second period. Adam Pelech scored for the Islanders, giving them a 1-0 lead. Then, Austin Matthews scored for Toronto to even the score at 1. Matthews is now the leading scorer in Toronto history. Then, Matthews scored another to make it 2-1 Toronto.
In the third period, Matthew Schaefer scored for the Islanders to tie the game at two. That was important because Schaefer was just hurt. He traveled 22.7 miles per hour and scored an unbelievable goal. While the crowd was still cheering the Schaefer goal, Nicholas Robertson scored for Toronto. They now lead 3-2. Then, Emil Heineman scored for the Islanders, tying the game at 3.
In overtime, Schaefer scored, giving the Islanders a 4-3 win. That was his second goal of the game.
Pajama Boy
This game marked the ninth game for John Taveras against the Islanders. He was the first overall pick for the Islanders. He was the last first overall pick for the Islanders since Schaefer. Tavares famously left the Islanders in 2018 for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He grew up in Toronto and was a fan of the team when he was a boy. When he announced he was leaving the Islanders for his favorite boyhood team, he did so in Maple Leaf pajamas.
Islander Injuries
Horvat missed practice on Friday, and Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy ruled him out. The forward, who made the Team Canada Olympic roster earlier in the day, exited the game in the third period and did not return after he collided with Utah’s Sean Durzi. The injury looked bad and looked like he may have re-injured his groin.
He leads the Isles with 33 points in 36 games played this season. The Islanders cannot afford to miss him for a prolonged period of time. The Islanders struggle to score goals, with Kyle Palmieri out, and need Horvat.
Also, Sorokin joined them at practice on Friday for the first time since the team announced he was dealing with a nagging injury. That was good news for the Islanders, who can not afford to be missing him. Sorokin has missed five games and last played in the 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on December 19. The Islanders were fortunate to have Sorokin back up Rittich, and the Islanders expect him to be on the ice Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. Sorokin is 12-10-2 with a 2.55 goals against average, a .910 save percentage, and three shutouts this season.
Cole McWard Makes Islanders Debut
Cole McWard made his New York Islanders debut on Saturday night. It will not be his first National Hockey League game. He went to college at Ohio State. He was recalled from the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday morning and was paired with Scott Mayfield. McWard played his first game in the National Hockey League since Nov. 28, 2023, with the Vancouver Canucks.
Parting Thoughts
The Islanders looked horrible in their 7-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth. They needed to win this game because they have one more game at home, on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils, before they embark on another seven-game road trip. They won six of seven on the road earlier this season and are hoping for a similar result this time.
