Maple Leafs fall into final in Atlantic with loss to Islanders

TORONTO — When is the honeymoon over?

When do the nice vibes effervescent across the Toronto Maple Leafs’ early season have to translate to significant progress?

Hat tips and highlights and rookie intrigue and a few spectacular particular person showings will solely get a group thus far.

Now, we see how the home that John Chayka constructed holds as much as its first actual stretch of extreme climate: accidents to 2 spine gamers, three consecutive losses, and a tumble down the standings regardless of taking part in twice as many video games at house as on the street.

Sometime after Troy Stecher — an admirable third-pair defenceman taking part in top-pair minutes Saturday — takes his stick and smashes it in half over Sergei Bobrovsky’s crossbar in frustration, and someday earlier than a couple of Leafs trustworthy let the boo birds fly and head coach Jim Hiller delivers his tensest post-game press convention because the final one, it dawns on you: 

Maybe the Maple Leafs (3-4-2) aren’t considerably higher than they had been below the final coach.

The New York Islanders, who beat the house group 4-1 wire-to-wire Saturday, aren’t thought-about an NHL powerhouse by any means. The Leafs are down Chris Tanev and John Tavares, positive. But they’re rested and will’ve been impressed to reply from Thursday’s blown two-goal result in Buffalo.

And the affected person, pack-the-house Islanders began the sport down Mathew Barzal and misplaced two extra top-six forwards to harm earlier than the sport was 17 minutes previous.

Still, Toronto couldn’t discover a path — or opted to not pressure one — by means of Pete DeBoer’s defence.

“It’s just disappointing. They could have their full lineup in there, and our lack of fortitude to get to the inside makes it disappointing in any case,” Hiller lamented. “You’re not going to attain from the perimeter towards this group. 

“I don’t think our D had many looks tonight, and there was nothing inside.”

Nothing, particularly, from Toronto’s stacked high line of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Jack Roslovic, which generated simply 16.5 per cent of anticipated objectives. Nylander had one shot and completed a dash-3. Matthews had one shot, was minus-1, and went 3-for-11 within the dot.

“They played hard,” Matthews mentioned. “They did a good job of keeping us on the outside, and I think we passed up on a lot of shots today too, and just kind of made it a little bit easier on them.”

The components for Hiller’s Leafs to win, thus far, has been for the eight-figure salaried guys to dazzle and for an influence play that entered this contest fourth general to ship.

The Leafs couldn’t maintain momentum 5-on-5, so going 0-for-3 on the man-advantage spelled catastrophe. 

“The power plays that we had almost just gave them more momentum with the way that they were able to clear pucks, break up plays, deny entries and stuff like that,” Matthews mentioned.

Disappointing, too, was the dearth of emotion or initiative by the Leafs to alter the tenor of 60 minutes performed to the lullaby of Islanders Hockey.

Outside of Stecher’s smashed stick and jubilant celebration when his level shot received tipped in well by Colton Sissons, the Leafs allowed the Islanders to suck the life out of Scotiabank Arena like a swarm of vitality vampires. Hockey’s Colin Robinsons.

Tanev is skating once more, which is optimistic, however one other commerce looks like a Hail Mary.

As Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday, Chayka isn’t eager on spending for a B-level defenceman. He’d be open to providing prime belongings for a difference-maker, however it’s in all probability too early to circle again on Zach Werenski simply but. Oh, and the GM is keen to commerce an older defenceman for a youthful one, however who isn’t?

What the Leafs can do within the meantime is summon urgency as they enter Week 4 of 2026-27 in the identical spot they completed 2025-26: final place within the Atlantic Division. 

Yes, they’ve now fallen beneath the Red Wings, usually considered as this month’s tire fireplace.

“I think the spirit’s fine,” Hiller mentioned. “We want to win some games. Let’s be honest.”

No higher time to begin than Monday-Tuesday’s back-to-back versus San Jose and at Columbus, a few fellow non-playoff groups additionally striving for identification and consistency.

“You can’t take too much time here to sort things out. Not in this league. Not in our division. We fully are aware of that. Down some guys right now. We gotta all pick it up collectively, and we got full belief that we can do that,” Sissons mentioned.

“We need urgency,” Matthews echoed. “The games are just going to keep coming, and we’ve got to just be better in all areas — starting with myself, starting with the leaders and veterans on this team. I think we’ve all got another level to show.” 

• Gavin McKenna’s ice time almost tripled from Thursday’s night time. The rookie skated 17:56 and put 4 pucks on web. Among Leafs forwards, solely Matthews and Nylander noticed extra ice.

“You can just tell. Like, I don’t think anything really shakes him,” Matthews mentioned of McKenna’s response to the benching. “He’s got confidence in his game. He knows what he can do out there, and he’s going to make plays, and I thought he showed that tonight.”

• Bo Horvat was one of the best participant on the sheet. The two-way centre is carrying an Islanders ahead group patched collectively by shoestrings and bubble gum.

Horvat scored the winner, arrange an insurance coverage aim and is as much as 9 factors in eight video games since being named captain. He tied workhorse defencemen Darren Raddysh and Matthew Schaefer for many ice time on this night time (24:21). 

The distinction? Horvat killed penalties, too.

• Despite the Maple Leafs’ slide, their penalty kill (two-for-two Saturday, together with a brief 5-on-3) stays the league commonplace: 96.4 per cent.

“Guys play smart, sacrifice their bodies. So, it’s fun to watch and fun to be part of it,” Bobrovsky mentioned. “And we can build from it, for sure.”

• Ex-Leaf Matias Maccelli wanted assist off the ice and to the room after falling awkwardly from a Raddysh journey. Both he and second-line pivot Cal Ritchie left the sport within the first interval with lower-body accidents and didn’t return, leaving the Isles with 10 our bodies up entrance.

Maccelli got here into the sport on a five-game level streak and tied for many factors amongst 2026 UFAs who signed one-year offers (Paul Cotter, Evgeni Malkin).

• Easton Cowan filmed somewhat spot for Chuck’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill by which he instructed a humorous little story. On his first date together with his girlfriend, she requested if he needed to order drinks. Assuming she meant non-alcoholic, the winger ordered a pleasant, chilly glass of chocolate milk.

“Getting a lot of chirps about it today,” Cowan mentioned Saturday morning, shaking his head.

“Hey! Little Moo!” piped Anthony Stolarz as Cowan left the dressing room.