3 Takeaways: Islanders Drop 3-1 Result to Leafs

The New York Islanders three-game winning streak came to an end as they suffered a 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night at UBS Arena.
Zach Parise scored the Islanders' lone goal, while Semyon Varlmaov made 20 saves on 23 shots in the loss.

The Leafs received a shorthanded goal by Mitch Marner, the eventual game-winning buzzer beater from Pierre Engvall at the end of the first period and a second-period strike for good measure from Morgan Rielly. Petr Mrazek made 27 saves on 28 shots in the victory.
For the Islanders, who were in the second half of a back-to-back, it was certainly a game they wanted to win. The team played with heavy hearts as a result of Friday night's tragic news that Islanders legend and Hockey Hall of Fame member Clark Gillies passed away.
Unfortunately, the Islanders' fatigue was evident in their play, which lacked details against a well-rested and determined Toronto squad, who took advantage.
"I don't think there was any let down, we knew the importance of the game," Parise said. "Two out of the three periods we played well. That's a really good hockey team over there that we didn't give a whole lot too. On the flipside, there's some areas I thought we could have been a little better… We'll learn from tonight's loss and get ready for our next game."

LEAFS MAKE THE MOST OF ISLES' DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWNS

Despite executing a stingy defensive clinic and earning a 4-0 shutout victory over the Arizona Coyotes last night, the Islanders' sloppy and uncharacteristic play, which included 16 giveaways, proved costly against the Leafs. Toronto made the most of the Islanders' defensive breakdowns including a two-goal first period on a shorthanded strike and dramatic buzzer beater.
Varlamov was under siege in the opening minutes as the Islanders practically took back-to-back penalties against Toronto's league-leading power play (29.5%). While the Islanders survived both penalty kills, they didn't do themselves any favors on their first power-play opportunity of the game as they surrendered their fifth shorthanded goal of the season and second at the hands of the Toronto star winger.
Maple Leafs 3, Islanders 1
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KINGER'S CALLS
Parise's Goal
Just nine seconds into Jason Spezza's holding penalty, Mathew Barzal turned the puck over which afforded Rielly the opportunity to spring Marner for the shorthanded breakaway. With Noah Dobson chasing him down, Marner slipped the puck through Varlamov's legs to give Toronto a 1-0 lead.
Despite the discouraging start, the Islanders got some momentum - courtesy of a check Matt Martin threw on John Tavares along the boards that got UBS Arena roaring - and created chances, including a nifty near-finish after some slick stick handling by Anders Lee.
The Islanders' eventually capitalized on the momentum, with Scott Mayfield chipping a cross-ice pass to Parise. Parise, who's late father J.P. was teammates with Clark Gillies, curled across the slot and lifted his backhander past Mrazek's shoulder for the Islanders equalizer.
Unfortunately, that equalizer was short-lived as Toronto regained its lead with 0.05 on the clock. Ilya Mikheyev forechecked a chipped puck out from Noah Dobson and found Engvall who made a strong toe drag-to-backhand sequence to squeeze the buzzer-beater through Varlamov's legs.
"I had no issues with our first period other than our power play's turnover," Islanders Head Coach Barry Trotz said. "That was a pre-scout. They were jumping it. Late in the first period, that one took some steam out of us. We battled out of our power-play miscue. Zach came back and got us back into the game, got us at even. I was really liking our first period right until the last second basically. It affected us in the second period, we didn't have that life that you need. Then, I felt we responded well in the third we just couldn't get it close enough."
The Leafs extended their lead 3-1 midway through their dominant second period, where they outshot the Islanders 10-6. Leading up to Toronto's goal, the Islanders were unable to regain possession or clear their zone and were on their heels as the Leafs worked the zone. William Nylander threaded a pass through the seam to Rielly, who unleashed a short-sided one timer past Varlamov at 9:42.
The Islanders showed more life in the third period, but their efforts weren't enough to rid their deficit. The aggressive push by the Islanders featured a 15-4 shot advantage by the Islanders, some shifting among the lines - including swapping Jean-Gabriel Pageau with Barzal and Anders Lee - but Mrazek came up with some exceptional saves.
A promising opportunity came at 7:55 when Reilly took a hooking penalty on Adam Pelech, but the Islanders' power play didn't muster a single shot in the penalty's duration. In the final few minutes, the desperate Islanders unleashed a strong push, but Toronto held it off.

PARISE'S TENACITY PAYS OFF

The offensive production hasn't been coming easy as of late for Parise, who entered Saturday's game with nine points, including one goal. Despite the low numbers from the notorious goal scorer, Parise wasn't discouraged. He noted on Thursday afternoon that he was happy with his game and the chances he had been creating. He even cracked a smile saying he's told his teammates he's a "second-half player," and his coach and teammates echoed that praise.
"The puck hasn't gone in as much as I'd like it to, but the chances are there," Parise said on Thursday afternoon. "I like the way I'm playing, how I'm playing without the puck. I've been creating chances. I keep telling the players I'm a second-half player."
He got his break against Toronto and was rewarded for his "dog on a bone" play as Lee calls it.

The veteran winger corralled the bouncing puck of Mayfield's chip pass out of the air, gathered it, and showcased his smooth hands before taking his shot upstairs of Mrazek for the Islanders' sole goal of the game. It was a confident play by the 37-year-old and true to his usual self.
In the second period, Parise, who stands 5-foot-11, showcased his tenacity at the net front and nearly jammed the puck past Mrazek on the Islanders' power play attempt, but was gloved down.

ISLANDERS HONOR THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CLARK 'JETHRO' GILLIES

It was an emotional night for the entirety of the Islanders organization, or "family" as Trotz called it, as the news of the tragic passing of Islanders legend and Hockey Hall of Fame member Clark Gillies, set in.
Fans came together on Saturday night mourning the loss of Gillies, who was one of the biggest personalities, always smiling, had an immense heart and who connected with the passionate Blue and Orange fan base. Bouquets of flowers were dropped by in the concourse of UBS Arena as fans took a moment to pay their respects.

In his honor, the Islanders donned No. 9 patches on their jerseys which they will wear for the remainder of the season. A touching tribute was held prior to puck drop featuring a video displayed on the jumbotron of the impact Gillies had not just as a key player of the Islanders' four-straight Stanley Cups, but as a selfless fixture within the Long Island community. A spotlight beamed on his retired jersey flag hanging up in the rafters and two large No. 9's covered each end of the ice as a moment of silence was taken.
The Islanders' bench was visibly emotional during the proceedings.
"He meant a lot to a lot of those guys," Trotz said. "I could feel the emotion behind the bench. It was well done, but just recognizing the person that he was. That's a big loss for our family."
Parise shared a personal note just on how close those teams were back when his father and Gillies were teammates and passed on some nice thoughts about Gillies.
"I remember my dad talking about those teams a lot, but him bringing up Clark's name a lot," Parise said. "I actually got a text from Chico Resch last night telling me about Clark passing and about how Chico sat across from my dad and Clark in the locker room and remembered all the laughs between the three of them. It was a nice ceremony for him and no doubt the impact that he had on the organization here."

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders' homestand continues as they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m