The Islanders pulled off an impressive 4-1 win in Toronto despite losing two forwards for most of the game, with both Cal Ritchie and Matias Maccelli limping off to destinations unknown in the first period.
Ritchie was the first to leave, on his first shift, but he was at least able to skate off after an awkward but not high-velocity collision on the far boards. Maccelli’s exit late in the first period looked more concerning, both in how his leg looked as it folded under him and in how he needed help to get off the ice and down the hallway.
After a surprising strong start to his tenure with the Islanders, we’re going to be without our lovable Swedish Meatball for a while.
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Anthony Duclair got the Isles on the board eight minutes into the game, following a good forecheck with a deceptive against-the-grain shot from the slot.
That was the only goal for most of the first two periods, the Isles playing a steady game with a short bench but whiffing on two first-period power plays. Bo Horvat double the lead to 2-0 late in the second off another strong forecheck and a nice move to the slot by Horvat, who ultimately put the rebound of Kyle Palmieri’s shot home. Sergei Bobrovsky was pulled out of the net to stop Palmieri’s shot, so Horvat had an empty cage to enjoy.
But Adam Pelech took a penalty that gave the Leafs a power play and opportunity for life to begin the third period. The Isles survived that penalty kill, only to have Emil Heineman called for a soft, borderline phantom tripping call to immediately put the Leafs back on the power play.
The Isles killed that one, too, despite some hairy moments, but the Leafs got on the board right after it expired with a point shot that took a perfect, fractional deflection off Matthew Schaefer, the post and in.
Clinging to a 2-1 lead in the third, the Isles were not getting any great looks as they went into survival mode. The dangerous-looking Leafs power play had one more chance to get them even when Schaefer took a puck-over-the-glass penalty at 10:10. But the Isles penalty kill held strong, and Simon Holmstrom created breathing room a couple minutes later with a whipped shot from the slot.
Holmstrom would add the empty netter, too, winning a battle behind the Isles net and carrying the puck out to center ice before scoring from the red line.
It’s a satisfying win for the Islanders, adjusting to 10 forwards and picking up three points from their two-game Ontario swing. Ilya Sorokin had 28 saves including 12 in the third period. But those injuries are going to hurt and test the Isles depth.
Up Next
The Islanders return home for another Tuesday-Thursday sequence, hosting the Ducks and Kings before heading out on a three-game Central Division tour.