Mathew Barzal scored 21 seconds into overtime Thursday night for the New York Islanders, who overcame a two-goal deficit in the second period to edge the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in Elmont, N.Y.
Following a faceoff win, Noah Dobson passed across the ice to Barzal, who shuffled from the backhand to the forehand and beat Martin Jones.
Kyle Palmieri, Alexander Romanov and Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders, who snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the second time in six games (2-3-1). Barzal added three assists and goalie Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves.
Auston Matthews scored twice in the second period — his NHL-leading 32nd and 33rd goals — in his 11th multi-goal game of the season for the Maple Leafs, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Bobby McMann scored Toronto’s first goal.
Jones recorded 27 saves.
Matthews was whistled for tripping just 31 seconds after the opening faceoff, and Palmieri scored nine seconds later, when he put back the rebound of a shot by Dobson that bounced off Jones’ stick arm.
Bobby McMann tied the score almost exactly 12 minutes later. TJ Brodie backhanded a pass to Noah Gregor, who dished to McMann before the center went to one knee and fired a shot past a sliding Sebastian Aho and over Sorokin’s glove.
Matthews scored twice in the first 2:40 of the second period. Mitchell Marner’s pass from behind the Islanders’ net glanced off the stick of New York defenseman Adam Pelech and to Matthews, who shuffled in the crease before beating Sorokin with the backhand 26 seconds into the period.
Pontus Holmberg stole the puck from Dobson deep in the Islanders zone and dished to Matthews, who doubled the lead by scoring off another backhand from point-blank range.
The Islanders began their comeback fewer than two minutes later, when Romanov took a pass from Barzal, weaved into the left faceoff circle and sent a shot into the far corner of the net at the 4:18 mark.
Timothy Liljegren drew a high-sticking penalty with 6:55 left in the second to set up Horvat’s tying goal, a redirection of Dobson’s shot from the slot.
–Field Level Media
