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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan delivered a goal and an assist to help his team defeat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Wednesday night at home. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz was equally impressive, turning aside 26 shots to backstop the victory and give Toronto its first win of the 2026-27 NHL season.
Cowan and Sissons Provide the Offense
Colton Sissons opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at 7:14 of the first period. He redirected a Nick Paul setup for his first goal of the season. Cowan then extended the lead at 11:55 on a power-play rebound. The goal came after defenceman Morgan Rielly kept the puck in the zone at the blue line and found Jack Roslovic for the initial shot.
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New York’s Ilya Sorokin finished the game with 24 saves. The Islanders were playing their first game of the new season, while Toronto entered Wednesday’s contest having lost 3-2 to the Montreal Canadiens in their opener on Tuesday. Despite the fresher legs, New York could not convert its early pressure into goals.
Stolarz Shines Before Late Islanders Goal
Stolarz controlled the game from the second period onward. He made a key stop with his right pad on Anthony Duclair in the third period. However, Emil Heineman broke the shutout bid with a short-handed goal with 5:51 remaining in regulation. That goal stood as New York’s only score of the night.
The 32-year-old Stolarz is reunited this season with fellow netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. The two won the Stanley Cup together with the Florida Panthers in 2024. Last season, injuries limited Stolarz to just 26 games. He finished that year with a 10-10-3 record, an .893 save percentage and a 3.28 goals-against average.
Key Storylines to Watch
On the Islanders side, defenceman Matthew Schaefer had a standout rookie season. He recorded 23 goals and needs just two more to surpass Bobby Orr for the second-most goals by a teenage defenceman in NHL history. Meanwhile, Cowan continues to build on a strong recent run. He recorded 18 points, including eight goals and 10 assists, in 22 playoff games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies last season. His efforts helped the Marlies claim the Calder Cup title after the Maple Leafs missed the NHL playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Toronto will next host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. The Islanders do not appear in the upcoming schedule listed, while the Canadiens are set to host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
