It was a battle of the Ilyas between Sorokin on Samsonov on Tuesday night. The Leafs got an early lead but New York scored seven of the next eight goals. It was the most lopsided loss of the year for Toronto. Below are the highlights from the game.
Mitch Marner got the Leafs first scoring chance of the night. He weaved through the Islanders defence to create something out of nothing but Sorokin shut the door…
Marner wills his way to the net pic.twitter.com/X8Q7gudedd
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 21, 2023
Just over halfway into the first period Sam Lafferty opened the scoring. Timothy Liljegren’s point shot pinballed off him and Scott Mayfield and into the net. That’s Lafferty’s first goal in the blue and white. Bobby McMann picks up his first career NHL point as well…
LAFFS’ FIRST IN THE BLUE & WHITE!! 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/RZX1CxY9H0
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 21, 2023
A few minutes later Sorokin put in his bid for save of the year. He reached back and absolutely robbed Erik Gustafsson with the paddle to keep the Isles within one…
Ilya Sorokin with a huge denial! ✋ pic.twitter.com/c4xh6Mn5OW
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 22, 2023
Zach Parise tied it up 28 seconds into the second. Mayfield circled the net and his shot banked off Liljegren right onto Parise’s stick. Tough bounce for Ilya Samsonov on that one…
Just like that Zach Parise evens the score for the Islanders 👊 pic.twitter.com/CnTwkYER8p
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 22, 2023
The Leafs nearly took the lead on a shorthanded break from David Kampf. Sorokin came out on top yet again…
Kampf gets a shorthanded break pic.twitter.com/HIst66W0C6
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 22, 2023
Hudson Fasching broke the tie late in the second. Liljegren fanned on the breakout pass and next thing you know it’s in the back of the net…
two zero makes it two one pic.twitter.com/y6SL8kemWE
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 22, 2023
The Isles doubled their lead before the period’s end. Cal Clutterbuck tipped Ryan Pulock’s point shot past Samsonov to make it 3-1…
DEFLECTION FOR CLUTTERBUCK pic.twitter.com/wybw0zeSdq
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 22, 2023
Marner got the Leafs back in it a few minutes into the third. Matthews circled the net, found him in the slot and he hammered a one-timer to make it 3-2…
M&M pic.twitter.com/XX7gFuoWDR
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 22, 2023
It wasn’t a one goal game for long. 44 seconds later the Isles went up by two again. Another brutal turnover by Toronto turned into a goal for New York. Clutterbuck’s second of the night…
Cal Clutterbuck doubles his goal tally on the night and the Islanders lead! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/WDIipLWEUs
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 22, 2023
Simon Holmstrom made it 5-2 at the halfway mark of the third. Somehow the puck found it’s way through Samsonov’s five-hole during a net front scramble…
HOLMSTROM. pic.twitter.com/iIlZrhv2m7
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 22, 2023
The Leafs pulled Samsonov with more than six minutes left but the Islanders scored to make it 6-2 shortly after. Anders Lee added another. 7-2 Islanders Final.
a beauty of a deflection. pic.twitter.com/LntcRr9ubn
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 22, 2023