Islanders Show How Dangerous They Can Be With Fully Healthy Forward Group

It's one win over a Maple Leafs team missing Auston Matthews, but their 6-3 win showed what could be if the Islanders can find consistency in their game now that they have a fully healthy forward group.

The New York Islanders' 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night was more than just a win in December.

It was a win that showed how dangerous this team can be when they have a fully healthy forward group. 

Saturday marked the first game since Oct. 19 that the Islanders had Anthony Duclair, Mathew Barzal, and Bo Horvat all in the lineup, with No. 11 returning from a 29-game absence due to a lower-body injury.

Unlike the first five games of the season where those three played on the team's top line, those three were on separate lines in Toronto:

While many speculated the what and the why for separating the three, these new line combinations from head coach Patrick Roy paid dividends:

First line:  Pageau with a goal, Barzal with a goal (ENG), Lee with two assists

Second line: Duclair with an assist

Third line: Bo Horvat had a goal and an assist, Tsyplakov had a goal, Holmstrom had two assists

Fourth line: Got in on the forecheck, grinding down opponents 

The backend produced as well, with Noah Dobson and Isaiah George scoring, with Alexander Romanov and Scott Mayfield adding assists. 

It's important to note that the Islanders' transition game was much better. 

That's where having Horvat and Barzal on different lines pays dividends, as no one is being forced into a role that doesn't fit their game. 

The defense also did a great job at hitting the forwards in transition, whether that was finding their tape in the defensive zone or in the neutral zone. 

Barzal even noted postgame how much more comfortable he felt in transition three games back from injury as he gets reaccustomed back to playing center after a year-plus on the wing: 

Possession is vital to many aspects of the game, especially discipline. 

Although the Islanders were on defense at times, they had the puck a lot, which contributed to their zero penalties on the night. 

Former Islanders defenseman and current analyst Thomas Hickey made a point post-game that he won't get fooled that easily when it comes to this team.

Even after big games, the Islanders have struggled to build on them. Up next is the Buffalo Sabres on home ice Monday night, a team that has lost 13 straight hockey games.

The hockey gods are giving the Islanders a vital opportunity to enter Christmas and the first night of Chanukah feeling incredibly good about their progress as they try to keep pace in the wild-card race.