Islanders can't find a way to beat Maple Leafs in spirited game at UBS Arena
Ilya Sorokin of the Islanders looks on after surrendering a second-period goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs at UBS Arena on Thursday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
It’s too late to feel good about a good performance in a borderline playoff-like atmosphere that still highlighted an inability to finish scoring chances.
The Islanders did play well in a 2-1 loss to the Maple Leafs on Thursday night at UBS Arena. But they were swept in the home-and-home series and have lost three straight, four of five and seven of 10, all in regulation. They fell into a tie for seventh in the Metropolitan Division with the Rangers at 35 points, and the Islanders have played two more games.
The Islanders also may have lost rookie defenseman Isaiah George, who entered the concussion protocol after taking an unpenalized high elbow from Max Domi midway through the second period.
“Right now I’d take a horrible game out of our team to win a hockey game,” Mathew Barzal said. “That’s really the only thing that matters right now is wins and losses. We are playing good hockey. It’s just hard getting over the line right now.”
The Islanders (14-18-7), four games below NHL .500 for the first time this late in the season since Doug Weight coached the team in 2018, ceded Bobby McMann’s power-play goal at 17:01 of the third period with defenseman Adam Pelech off for an offensive-zone trip. Then Anders Lee’s whacked-in shot after goalie Joseph Woll had made the initial save was waved off with 22.8 seconds left.
It was ruled it was not a continuous play and that play had been whistled dead. Coach Patrick Roy called it a “quick whistle,” but Lee never had much hope the goal would count.
“To me, the puck is loose,” said Lee, who hit Woll’s pads with his stick. “But if the puck is loose, I think we’re losing the call either way because then they’re just going to call goalie interference. You just jam until you hear a whistle. I jammed it. I think the whistle had blown at the same time. It’s under him but it’s not covered because it’s loose.”
Woll was outstanding in making 32 saves, denying an open Lee from the slot and gloving Barzal’s wrister from just above the crease in the first period and twice robbing Bo Horvat from the left circle in the second period. Pelech hit the crossbar in the third period.
Ilya Sorokin, also strong in making his 13th start in 14 games, stopped 29 shots.
The Islanders lost to the Leafs, 3-1, in Toronto on Tuesday afternoon with John Tavares — still booed every time he touches the puck at UBS Arena — scoring an empty-net, power-play goal in the final minute as Roy opted to keep Sorokin on the bench although the faceoff was in the Islanders’ zone.
“I have nothing to support what I’m going to say, but we’re playing good hockey,” Roy said. “We limited the chances. We had some chances. I think we just need to get better shots on net. The quality of our shots needs to be better.”
The Islanders went 1-for-3 on the power play, generating one shot in 19 seconds of five-on-three time in the second.
“There’s definitely some good things we’re doing, but we’ve got to find the back of the net,” said defenseman Scott Mayfield, who took Barzal’s feed to the left circle to tie it at 1-1 at 18:15 of the second period. “We’ve made some improvements on the penalty kill [1-for-2]. You can take the good things, but in the end, it’s two points left out there and we’ve got to find a way to win games.”
McMann opened the scoring off a rush at 10:43 of the first period as George was skating off the ice shaken from Domi’s hit.
“I guess we have a different opinion of the situation because that hit, to me, was clearly a head shot,” Roy said. “But what can I do? They’re the ones who make the calls on the ice.”
Notes & quotes: Goalie Sem-yon Varlamov (lower body/ long-term injured reserve), who has not played since Nov. 29, resumed skating on Thursday. Roy said Varlamov did not face any shots . . . Defenseman Mike Reilly (heart condition/LTIR), out since suffering a concussion on Nov. 1, was on the ice with teammates before the team’s morning skate but did not participate in the practice . . . Forward Simon Holmstrom (upper body/day-to-day) missed his second game . . . Defenseman Dennis Cholowski and forward Matt Martin remained healthy scratches.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
More Islanders
