Slumping Islanders blown out by Maple Leafs as concerning trend continues

TORONTO — William Nylander had 2 goals and 2 assists arsenic the Toronto Maple Leafs bushed the slumping New York Islanders 5-2 connected Monday night. 

John Tavares had a extremity and an assist, Calle Jarnkrok and Auston Matthews besides scored and Justin Holl had 2 assists for Toronto, which is 3-0-1 successful its past 4 and 6-2-1 successful its past nine. Ilya Samsonov had 31 saves. 

Anders Lee scored doubly for New York successful its ninth nonaccomplishment successful 10 games (1-6-3). Ilya Sorokin had 33 saves. 

Trailing 2-1 successful the 2nd period, Toronto it connected a powerfulness play astatine 7:53 erstwhile Samsonov caught the Islanders connected a agelong alteration with a agelong pass. Nylander rapidly fed Tavares, who moved successful unsocial and backhanded his 21st extremity of the play upstairs against his erstwhile team. 

The Leafs, who mislaid 3-2 successful overtime to the Islanders present connected Nov. 21, past took their archetypal pb 1:40 aboriginal erstwhile Nylander utilized a delicate flip walk to nonstop Jarnkrok successful unsocial to people his 11th. 

Auston Matthews celebrates aft scoring during the Maple Leafs’ triumph implicit the Islanders connected Jan. 23. NHLI via Getty Images

Sorokin stopped Michael Bunting’s punishment changeable aboriginal successful the period, but Nylander buried his 2nd of the nighttime and 26th wide with 3:28 near successful the mediate play aft stealing the puck from Scott Mayfield successful the violative zone. 

Matthews sealed the triumph with his 25th astatine 7:44 of the 3rd connected a breakaway disconnected a walk from Holl. 

New York opened the scoring with 22.2 seconds near successful the archetypal erstwhile Lee swatted location a escaped puck successful the crease for his 16th aft Brock Nelson’s changeable glanced disconnected the Samsonov’s enarthrosis and deed the post. 

William Nylander celebrates aft scoring during the Maples Leafs’ triumph implicit the Islanders connected Jan. 23. NHLI via Getty Images

The Islanders and Maple Leafs scrap.Getty Images

The Toronto goaltender was crisp connected a fig of chances earlier successful the period, including a terrific blocker halt astatine afloat agelong connected Casey Cizikas. 

Toronto manager Sheldon Keefe tweaked his top-6 guardant radical during the archetypal intermission, reuniting Tavares and Nylander, and slotting Mitch Marner alongside Matthews. 

Toronto tied it astatine 5:07 of the 2nd erstwhile Nylander scored disconnected the unreserved aft a bully play from Tavares. 

Lee enactment New York backmost up 1:10 aboriginal connected a one-timer that fooled Samsonov for his 17th.