MacArthur scores in OT as Leafs beat Islanders
Posted January 24, 2012 10:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Clarke MacArthur’s second goal of the game at 2:06 of overtime lifted Toronto over the New York Islanders 4-3 on Tuesday night, giving the Maple Leafs a sweep of the home-and-home series.
MacArthur took a feed from Mikhail Grabovski and slid the puck into goalie Al Montoya’s glove, which was inside the net. Both teams waited on the ice for the official ruling, which confirmed the goal. It was MacArthur’s 14th of the season.
Toronto goalie Jonas Gustavsson made several sterling saves moments before the Maple Leafs rushed up ice, leading to the winning goal. Gustavsson stopped 29 shots in all.
P.A. Parenteau scored for New York with 12.2 seconds left in the third period to force overtime. His unassisted goal on a slap shot from between the faceoff circles was his 10th of the season.
The win helped Toronto keep pace with the Washington Capitals for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Maple Leafs haven’t reached the post-season since 2004.
Gustavsson made 25 saves Monday night for his third shutout in January as the Maple Leafs beat the Islanders 3-0 in the first game of the home-and-home set.
Grabovski’s fluttering shot with 3:31 remaining in the third put Toronto up 3-2. The puck knuckleballed over Montoya’s right shoulder and into the net after it ricocheted off the stick of Islanders defenceman Milan Jurcina.
Goals by John Tavares and Josh Bailey put New York ahead 2-0 before the Maple Leafs rallied for three straight goals.
Tavares — whose NHL season-high 12-game points streak ended a night earlier — scored his 20th of the season at 1:54 of the first period, knocking a rebound past Gustavsson.
Bailey’s short-handed score at 9:17 of the second period, his fifth of the season, on a perfect pass from Matt Martin made it 2-0. The goal came with defenceman Travis Hamonic in the penalty box for holding Toronto’s Phil Kessel.
Toronto broke up Montoya’s shutout bid at 18:55 of the second when MacArthur scored.
Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner tied it 2-2 with his first NHL goal at 1:47 of the third period. Montoya protested because MacArthur was at his feet in the crease — after being shoved by an Islanders defenceman — but the goal counted.
The game had its chippy moments. Tavares appeared to be elbowed in the face by Kessel behind the Islanders net at the second-period horn. No penalty was called.
There were numerous post-whistle skirmishes at both ends of the ice.
The Maple Leafs have won five of their last six meetings with the Islanders and are 3-0-1 in their last four trips to Long Island.
