Isaiah George Talk On Hockey Night in New York When the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/auston-matthews-was-out-there-so-they-werent-paying-attention-craig-berube-jokes-about-participants-being-distracted-at-maple-leafs-coaches-open-house] 6-3 on Dec. 21, superstar forward Auston Matthews was missing from the lineup. Despite Matthews returning to the practice sheet for the first time since re-aggravating an injury on Dec. 20, the Maple Leafs' captain will miss his fifth straight game: Since the Islanders' win over Toronto, a game that served as the blueprint for how Patrick Roy's team has to play to win, they've gone 1-2-0, showing that complete effort just once in three games. The Islanders have beaten Toronto five straight times, but after losing 3-2 to Pittsburgh on Sunday night, Long Island hopes to continue their success against John Tavares' squad and head into 2025 feeling a bit better about things.
