National Hockey League
NY Islanders 7, Toronto 2
When: 7:30 PM ET, Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Where: UBS Arena, Elmont, New York
Referees: Francis Charron, Justin St. Pierre
Linesmen: Travis Gawryletz, Ryan Jackson
Attendance: 17255

Cal Clutterbuck posted his first two-goal game in over a year, and the New York Islanders took advantage of a spate of turnovers by the Toronto Maple Leafs to earn a 7-2 win Tuesday in Elmont, N.Y.

Zach Parise, Hudson Fasching, Simon Holmstrom, Noah Dobson and Anders Lee also scored for the Islanders (37-27-8, 82 points), who extended their lead over the Florida Panthers to three points in the race for the first Eastern Conference wild card. New York is four points ahead of the third-place Pittsburgh Penguins.

Goalie Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves.

Sam Lafferty and Mitch Marner scored for the Maple Leafs (42-19-9, 93 points), who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Goalie Ilya Samsonov recorded 22 saves.

Lafferty, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 27, scored his first goal with his new team when he raised his stick to redirect a shot by Timothy Liljegren that trickled past Sorokin with 8:59 left in the first.

Parise tied the score with a four-on-four goal just 28 seconds into the middle period. Scott Mayfield skated around the back of the net and passed to Parise, who fired a shot beyond Samsonov's glove as he was stuck leaning to the other side.

Fasching and Clutterbuck scored off turnovers fewer than five minutes apart late in the second. Liljegren misfired on an attempted clearing pass and Fasching picked up the puck and sent a 75-mph slapshot beyond Samsonov's glove with 6:10 left.

Clutterbuck scored his first goal with 2:34 remaining in the period. A hard check by Casey Cizikas jarred the puck loose from David Kampf before Clutterbuck redirected Ryan Pulock's shot from the blue line.

Marner scored for the third straight game, 3:29 into the third; he took a pass from Auston Matthews, went to one knee in the slot and beat Sorokin under his stick.

Clutterbuck scored again just 44 seconds later; he picked off Morgan Rielly just inside the blue line in the Islanders' zone and raced in for the unassisted goal. It was the eighth career two-goal game for Clutterbuck and his first since Dec. 16, 2021.

Dobson scored a length-of-the-ice empty-netter just after Samsonov was pulled with 6:04 left. Lee scored with 3:14 remaining.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Toronto   NY Islanders
Sam Lafferty 1 Points Cal Clutterbuck 3
Sam Lafferty 1 Goals Cal Clutterbuck 2
Justin Holl 1 Assists Jean-Gabriel Pageau 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Ilya Samsonov .786 Save Percentage Ilya Sorokin .926
Ilya Samsonov 22 Saves Ilya Sorokin 25
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Toronto 27 2 0-1 2-2 9 23
NY Islanders 29 7 0-2 1-1 7 34
Upcoming Games
  • NY Islanders will play their next game on the road against Columbus. The Islanders have a W/L % of .541 after a win and .486 after a loss.
  • Toronto will play their next game on the road against Florida. The Maple Leafs have a W/L % of .535 after a win and .704 after a loss.