AP: Also recaps Toronto's 4-2 win with Sports Network here.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
If not for Joey MacDonald it could have easily been seven or eight goals and if he was tired it did not show, excellent effort wasted.
Something in the team defense/chemistry department is off right now, passing lanes open with skating, reactions to pressure just not good at all. Witt was throwing hits and getting in passing lanes but team defense looks like individual efforts right now.
For a team struggling at the start of games that came in losing three in a row Toronto took the play at the Islanders for a good fifty minutes and the game looked like a mismatch. Toronto's callups outplayed the Islander veterans.
Islanders skating also took the night off, almost all of the Isles offense came from the point with deflection goals by Guerin and Sillinger. Until the end Toskala did not have to be very good or face much pressure in front of him.
Jackman had his chance, Comeau had the Leaf goaltender floundering outside his crease after his early breakaway but little else until the last part of the third and nothing sustained.
Comeau in terms of individual play looked good and created some early chances until he took the hit to his arm-hand. Bergenheim another very selfish penalty in the second.
Scott Gordon reunited Ted Nolan's old Hilbert-Sillinger-Hunter line in the third with Bailey not doing much and they got a few chances. Bergenheim looked a little more effective in the third back with Guerin and Weight. Streit got his chance late.
Islanders better find some answers to their team defensive game and start creating some quality chances and pick up the skating. Jason Blake looked excellent and the Leafs just carried play and won all the battles. Islanders took the majority of the big hits with Thompson at least standing up for his teammates.
We'll see if someone is called up for Thompson or Comeau.
Islanders look like a club in a free fall right now that is not working well as a unit, Toronto created chances MacDonald could not stop.
Islanders have to start doing the same thing.
