Maple Leafs drop third straight in loss to Islanders - Sportsnet.ca

Sorokin makes 28 saves for New York; Toronto has lost five of six TORONTO -- Bo Horvat had a goal and an assist for the New York Islanders in a 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.

TORONTO — Bo Horvat scored the winner and added an assist as the New York Islanders cruised past the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Saturday night. Simon Holmstrom with two, including one into the empty net, and Anthony Duclair had the other goals for New York (4-3-1). Ilya Sorokin made 28 saves. Colton Sissons replied for Toronto (3-4-2). Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 16 shots for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped three straight games, and four of their last five. The Islanders jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 8:18 of the first period when Duclair took a pass in the slot and changed the angle before firing through a partial screen on Bobrovsky. Coming off a hat trick in Thursday’s 5-4 home shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Maple Leafs winger Kirill Marchenko had a couple of chances that Sorokin turned aside in the second. No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna, who was benched for the second half of Thursday’s contest, had an opportunity to tie things late in the period on a partial breakaway, but fired high and wide. The Islanders raced the other way, with Horvat eventually beating Bobrovsky at 18:33 to double the visitors’ lead.

Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry told reporters Saturday that the air will need to be cleared if Connor Hellebuyck is to return to the team after his suspension ends. Speaking to reporters following a narrow 3-2 loss to the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, Lowry was asked about a report that indicated Hellebuyck’s suspension could end next Friday. He said there would need to be “conversations” should the star goaltender return to the Jets. “He’s a good friend of mine. Do I love the decision? Do I love the way it’s dragged on? No. But we’ll handle the situation when it comes. Obviously we’re disappointed with the outcome, he’s one of the best goalies in the world,” Lowry said. “It’s unfair to speculate on what’s going to happen between now until Friday. But I think if he does show up there’s going to have to be conversations, there’s going to have to be kind of one of those water under the bridge things. Like I said we keep moving forward, we’re a team regardless of who’s in the room.”Lowry also pointed out that things could change between now and a potential return to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck.

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