Ilya Sorokin chat The New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] welcomed Anthony Duclair back to the lineup with a 6-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Duclair, who hadn't played since Oct. 19 due to a lower-body injury played 14:50 in his return, earning the primary assist on Isaiah George's first NHL goal, the game-winning marker at 5:23 of the third: Here's how the game unfolded: For the first time in nine games, the Islanders lit the lamp first. At 1:49 of the first, Bo Horvat found Maxim Tsyplakov in the slot from below the goal line before the Russian forward buried his seventh of the season: Then, at 4:48 of the first, defenseman Alexander Romanov sent a puck up the ice past a few players, which eventually sprung Horvat on a 2-on-1 with Tsyplakov. No. 14 elected to shoot, beating Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll over the right pad and under the blocker for his ninth of the season: After allowing an easy zone entry for Toronto forward William Nylander, the Swedish forward roofed a backhand glove side from inside the left circle to cut the Leafs' deficit to 2-1 at 12:29 of the opening frame: The Islanders reclaimed a two-goal lead after Jean-Gabriel Pageau buried a rebound at 16:08 of the first off a nice rush from Romanov and Anders Lee: Romanov earned his second assist of the game. After an Adam Pelech turnover and some puck-watching in the slot, Nylander buried his second of the game off a feed from David Kampf at 5:43 of the second: The Islanders entered the third up 3-2 after what was a strong showing through two periods. After surviving an early push from Toronto, Islanders rookie Isaiah George netted his first career NHL goal in his 20th career game. He beat Woll through a screen at 5:23 of the third to give the Islanders a 4-2 lead: The Islanders weren't done just yet as Horvat added his second goal of the game at 10:36 of the third after Noah Dobson's point shot banked off his stick and in: It turns out the Leafs weren't done either, as Bobby McMann scored off an Adam Pelech failed clear to cut the Islanders' lead to 5-3 at 13:49 of the third: Barzal added an empty-net goal for his third of the season at 17:40 of the third for the 6-3 final. UP NEXT: The Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night at 7:30 PM, their final game before Christmas and the start of Channukah.
