Quebec’s Samuel Bolduc enjoyed his first game of the National Hockey League in Toronto on Monday. However, the New York Islanders suffered the wrath of William Nylander, who shone in a 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs.
Hours after his recall from Bridgeport School Club, the 22-year-old Laval defender made his official Isles debut. The former 2019 second-round pick played on a pair completed by Sebastian Aho, going 14:28. on the ice in defeat. He had three goals and one shot and did not appear on the ice in any of the hosts’ five victories.
Bolduc and the Big Apple team were hit hard by Hurricane Willy Styles in the second period. The Sweden winger was involved in all four goals in that engagement, threading the needle twice and also being an accomplice for John Tavares and Calle Jarnkrok.
Nylander has increased his tally to 26 goals and 56 points in 48 games this season after an 80-point season in 2021-2022.
Former Islanders captain Tavares also had fun at the expense of his former team. He deftly set up Nylander’s first goal to level the game before scoring his 21st goal of the season on the power play.
Auston Matthews has been discreet by his standards since the start of the campaign, showing his fine day form to pin the New York coffin in the final third. He mocked Ryan Pulock’s defensive coverage before defeating Ilya Sorokin with a breakaway.
Captain Anders Lee secured the visitors’ response. He put his team ahead twice in the first half and scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season.
In the loss, playmaker Mathew Barzal scored his first point since Jan. 5 in Edmonton. In his last seven duels he had been struck by the top scorer.
It’s the fifth straight loss for the “Islands,” who haven’t had a win since the Montreal Canadiens visited the UBS Arena on Jan. 14.
The Panthers can’t help it against the big guns of the Rangers
The New York Rangers beat the Florida Panthers 6-2 at Madison Square Garden.
Forwards Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin and defender Adam Fox all had three points. In front of his cage, goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin saved 33 of his rival’s 35 shots.
Fox’s success, the first goal in this duel, made the New York fans particularly happy. The full-back decided to attack, walked between two opponents and beat goalkeeper Alex Lyon with a magnificent feint. It was the 10th goal of the season for the 2020-21 James Norris Trophy winner.
Zibanejad assisted Fox’s goal and hit the target twice. Panarin provided three assists. The other players who fooled Lyon vigilance are Alexis Lafrenière and Jimmy Vesey. Filip Chytil completed the goal in an empty net.
The Panthers’ goals came straight from Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov, scoring in the first and last halves respectively. That setback also ended a brief two-win streak for the Florida club.