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TORONTO — Amidst all the pregame excitement surrounding Matthew Schaefer’s debut in Toronto, it was another local rookie, Cal Ritchie, who stole the spotlight by scoring during his homecoming on Tuesday.
Despite ongoing concerns throughout the season regarding the Islanders’ power play, recent performances suggest it’s finally starting to click. The team scored two power-play goals for the second time in just four games, signaling a potential turnaround.
This combination of factors led to a straightforward 3-1 victory over the Maple Leafs, who seem painfully aware of their dwindling playoff hopes. Securing these two points was essential for the Islanders as they continue their road trip to Ottawa, with the playoff race being too close for comfort.
The Islanders executed their strategy with precision, taking control just over four minutes into the game. From there, they expertly managed their lead, dominating possession, maintaining puck control in the offensive zone, and effectively limiting Toronto’s scoring chances. While the matchup may not have been the most thrilling of the season, Ritchie’s performance and the power play’s improvement could prove crucial if this trend continues.
Earlier in the season, Ritchie’s confidence seemed to falter at times. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, the Islanders appeared to be pushing the 21-year-old to elevate his game. However, his recent form suggests he may be finding his stride at a pivotal moment.
He’s continued to have ups and downs, as expected from any rookie, but the move to the wing is going well.
So is putting Ritchie on a line with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee, two players who can more than make up for what the rookie lacks in experience and physicality.
It was only right, too, that Brayden Schenn, whom the Isles have assigned to mentor Ritchie, scored his first goal for the franchise on an assist from the rookie. It was a beauty, with Ritchie in the middle of a tic-tac-toe power-play goal that started with Mathew Barzal and ended with Schenn just 4:15 into the night.
Schenn’s was the first of two goals the power play scored in the first period, and the second was all Ritchie, stuffing in his own rebound just nine seconds after Brandon Carlo went for a high stick.
That ought to boost Ritchie’s confidence plenty. Just as important: The power play suddenly seems potent, having won the Islanders a game in St. Louis last week — another two-point game for Ritchie — and having gotten them out to an early lead Tuesday.
At this point in the year, it’s likely too late to rescue the Islanders’ woeful ranking at 5-on-4, but they can certainly render it meaningless.
Coach Patrick Roy and assistant Ray Bennett have preached simple hockey on the power play: stop looking for perfect, shoot the puck and get to the net. Finally, there appear to be signs of a breakthrough.
For all that, plus Barzal notching a three-assist night for the first time since January 2024, you’d think this game had plenty more excitement than it did.
Aside from the odd moment, though — Morgan Rielly dropping gloves with Kyle MacLean, Emil Heineman’s one-timer that made it 3-1 off a suffocating top-line shift — the game was in a sort of stasis.
The Leafs, with little energy in front of a quiet home crowd, never really forced the issue, and the Islanders were plenty content with that equilibrium.
All told, it was one of the more forgettable 60 minutes of the season. If its trends can last, though, it will be one to remember down the line.