According to typical, the loudest boos were booked for John Tavares when the Maple Leafs went to UBS Arena.
Public Enemy No. 2 on Thursday night for the Islanders, however, was Max Domi.
And the Islanders, who were steaming mad at Domi for an elbow to the head of Isaiah George that knocked the novice out of the video game throughout the 2nd duration, let the bad guy win on Thursday night, stopping working to come back on the Maple Leafs in a 2-1 defeat.
The loss drops the Islanders to 4 video games under NHL.500 for the very first time given that Dec. 19, 2021.
Bobby McMann (74) ratings on Ilya Sorokin throughout the Islanders' 2-1 loss to the Maple Leafs on Jan. 2, 2025 at UBS Arena. Robert Sabo for NY Post
When it comes to this late in the season, the last time they were this far listed below NHL.500 after the calendar turned to January was March 31, 2018– when Doug Weight was the head coach, Garth Snow was the basic supervisor and Tavares was the captain.
That this loss wasn't so bad– the Islanders completed difficult versus the Maple Leafs, kept it close and possibly might have won if a bounce or more had actually gone the other method– is practically next to the point.
The Islanders might not be breaking down in incredible style, a la the Rangers, however make no error, their season is headed in the very same instructions after Bobby McMann netted a third-period winner on the power play for Toronto.
“I believe today I ‘d take a terrible video game out of our group to win a hockey video game,” a despondent Mathew Barzal stated. “That's truly the only thing that matters today is to win a hockey video game. That's truly the only thing that matters today is wins and losses.”
The Islanders had a series of opportunities to break a one-all incorporate their favor, consisting of on a power play after McMann was dispatched for tripping at 10:18 of the 3rd and with a Brock Nelson take care of Joseph Woll misplayed the puck.
And, on what might have been the hardest miss out on of the night, Adam Pelech followed up a clutch Ilya Sorokin save money on Matthew Knies by striking the crossbar on the other end, simple seconds before taking an offensive-zone charge for tripping Philippe Myers behind Toronto's web.
The Islanders' charge kill– dead last in the league– then struck as McMann ripped home Oliver Ekman-Larsson's feed that bounced off completion boards and right to him, capturing Sorokin out of position for a definitive 2-1 lead.
It appeared like the Islanders had actually connected the video game at six-on-five when Anders Lee poked one in from below Woll with 23 seconds to go, however it was eliminated upon evaluation– the play having actually been whistled dead for absence of constant movement.
