The Toronto Maple Leafs secured a 3-1 victory against the New York Islanders, propelling them into a tie for the top position in the Atlantic Division alongside the Florida Panthers. The game featured goals from David Kampf, Steven Lorentz, and captain John Tavares, while Joseph Woll stood tall in net with 30 saves, improving Toronto's record to 23 wins, 13 losses, and 2 overtime losses.
On the opposing side, Jean-Gabriel Pageau was the lone scorer for the Islanders, who now hold a record of 14 wins, 7 losses, and 7 overtime losses. Ilya Sorokin, the Islanders’ goaltender, made 22 saves during the match. Notably, Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews missed his fifth consecutive game due to an upper-body injury and was placed on injured reserve earlier that day. Despite returning to practice, Matthews did not face any setbacks, according to the team's report.
In addition to Matthews, Toronto was without forward Pontus Holmberg and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson due to illness. The Islanders also faced challenges, with forward Simon Holmstrom scratched late due to an upper-body injury. Special teams remained a significant issue for New York, as they entered the game with the league's lowest power-play percentage and failed to convert on their lone opportunity in this matchup.
A pivotal moment in the game came when defenseman Chris Tanev made a crucial blocked shot that led to Toronto's opening goal. The Maple Leafs have struggled during Matthews' latest absence, holding a record of 2-3-0 compared to a much stronger 7-2-0 record when he was out in November. The two teams will meet again on Thursday in the second game of their home-and-home series.
