Easton Cowan and Anthony Stolarz lead Maple Leafs past Islanders 2-1

Easton Cowan and Anthony Stolarz delivered standout performances on Wednesday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs edged the New York Islanders 2-1 at Scotiabank Arena. Cowan recorded a goal and an assist, while Stolarz stopped 26 shots to help Toronto even its record after a season-opening loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Cowan strikes on power play after Sissons opener

Despite facing an Islanders team with fresher legs in its first outing of the 2026-27 season, the Maple Leafs (1-1-0) grabbed control early. Colton Sissons opened the scoring at 7:14 of the first period, deflecting in his first goal with Toronto off a feed from Nick Paul.

Cowan doubled the lead on a power play just over four minutes later. Morgan Rielly knocked down a clearing attempt at the blue line to keep the zone, then found Jack Roslovic for the initial shot. Cowan pounced on the rebound at 11:55 to beat Ilya Sorokin, who finished with 24 saves for New York (0-1-0).

The man-advantage marker underscored Cowan’s offensive momentum after a strong playoff run with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. He had 18 points, including eight goals and 10 assists, in 22 postseason games during last season’s Calder Cup championship run, which came after the Maple Leafs missed the NHL playoffs for the first time in a decade.

Stolarz holds firm until late shorthanded goal

In goal, Stolarz made the most of his opportunity in his Maple Leafs debut. Reunited with fellow netminder Sergei Bobrovsky after winning the Stanley Cup together with the Florida Panthers in 2024, the 32-year-old was sharp throughout, turning aside New York chances and delivering a key right-pad stop on Anthony Duclair in the third period.

Stolarz’s shutout bid was broken with 5:51 remaining in regulation when Emil Heineman scored shorthanded to cut Toronto’s lead to 2-1. Even with that late tally, Stolarz closed out a strong performance after a 2025-26 campaign limited to 26 games by injury, when he went 10-10-3 with a 3.28 goals-against average and .893 save percentage.

Schaefer chases history as schedule moves on

On the Islanders’ blue line, Matthew Schaefer entered the season coming off a standout rookie year in which he scored 23 goals. He now needs just two more to move past Bobby Orr for the second-most goals ever by a teenage defenceman in NHL history.

The Maple Leafs continue their homestand on Saturday when they host the Ottawa Senators. The Canadiens, who handed Toronto its opening-night loss, will also be in action that day as they welcome the New Jersey Devils.