Takeaways: Islanders Earn Crucial Two Points in 5-3 Win Over Maple Leafs

The New York Islanders needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and they got one for their new Head Coach Pete DeBoer on Thursday night with a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"We're pretty pumped to have Pete back there, just everything we've worked on in practice,” Matthew Schaefer said. “We really wanted to show him what a great group we got in here.”

Brayden Schenn, JG.Pageau, Schaefer, Emil Heineman (PPG), Cal Ritchie (PPG, A) powered the offense for the Islanders and Ilya Sorokin made 13 saves. Steven Lorentz, Easton Cowan (PPG), Morgan Rielly scored for the Leafs while Artur Akhtyamov made 39 saves in his first NHL start.

The Islanders understood the assignment with the playoff race tightening. The Islanders (91 points) closed the gap with the Philadelphia Flyers (92 points), who fell to the Detroit Red Wings (91 points) 6-3 on Thursday and currently occupy third in the Metropolitan Division. They leapfrogged the Columbus Blue Jackets (90 points), who lost 5-0 to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

“We've been talking all week about playoff habits,” DeBoer said. “You have to have them this time of year to give yourself a chance to get in the playoffs. I thought they delivered on that. It wasn't a perfect game, but I loved how fast we played.”

TAKEAWAYS

• The Islanders came out energized and aggressive after four days without games and quickly tested rookie netminder Akhtyamov. They were eager to snap a four-game losing streak, and worked through three straight practices with their new Head Coach.

“We were all looking for a little bit of redemption from last few weeks,” Heineman said. “I thought we came out with energy… we have been building that up throughout the week.”

• Schenn scored off a quick and tight feed from Ritchie from the corner of the crease to make it 1-0 at the 2:08 mark of the first period, while Pageau piggybacked off that momentum with his 18^th goal of the season shortly after. Though the Islanders allowed a pair of goals from the Maple Leafs – Lorentz scored on a sharp angle shot in the first, while the Isles PK faltered early in the second period as Cowan scored to tie the game at two – Toronto never took the lead.

• Schaefer had himself a night with a huge goal in the middle frame to take a 3-2 lead. As the Islanders sustained significant pressure in the Toronto zone. He unleashed a wrist shot from a DeAngelo feed and buried his 23^rd goal of the season, which tied Brian Leetch for the most goals by a rookie defenseman in a single season in NHL history. With the entire arena chanting his name, Schaefer gave a little wave to the crowd during a media timeout.

“For me, watching him from the bench live like that, just wow,” DeBoer said of Schaefer. “I mean, what a player. How dynamic he is both ends of the rink, defensively, particularly. Of course, the offensive stuff, but for a young player, how defensively aware he is, he's a really, really special player.

• Aside from offensive attributes, Schaefer also made an impressive defensive play, sweeping the puck before it crossed the goal line after it bounced off the pads of Sorokin, to keep the game scoreless early in the game.

“After we had a great start, [allowing that] really would have been a tough one,” DeAngelo said. “It was kind of a weird bounce off Sorokin, but Schaefer was in a great spot. Every night he does it. His consistency for his age is kind of off the charts.”

• The Islanders started to pull away with their fourth and fifth goals of the game both on the power play. Heineman potted a power-play goal to take a 4-2 lead after he converted a Mathew Barzal feed with a one-timer from the slot at the 16:44 mark of the middle frame. Ritchie pounded another one home on the man advantage to take a 5-2 lead with 9:40 left in the third.

“You need to be rewarded in order to build on the belief, and special teams are a lot of confidence, the power play in particular,” DeBoer said. “We've got to build on that.

• DeBoer has talked all week about improving defensively and the Islanders bought in. The Isles held the Leafs to nine shots through two periods, while they staved off a seven-shot effort in the remaining 20.

• DeAngelo made his return to action after he missed six games with a lower-body injury. He skated on a pair with Adam Pelech and recorded two assists – a primary helper on Schaefer’s second period goal and a secondary on Heineman’s power play tally – making his presence felt in his first game since March 24^th.  

“He's a real skilled defenseman out there that can move the puck,” Heineman said. “He’s a big part of our team. We really have to have him back here was there.”

• Mathew Barzal returned to his natural position at center and skated with Schenn and Ritchie on his wings.
• Sorokin made his 12^th consecutive appearance and seventh straight start.

NEXT GAME

The Islanders continue their four-game homestand to close out the regular season with a contest against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Puck drop is set for 1PM.