Despite all the attention on the Islanders facing John Tavares for the first time, Mathew Barzal turned out to be the star of the show on Saturday night in Toronto.
Barzal scored a natural hat trick in the second period, powering the Islanders to a 4-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Barzal's big night led the way, while Robin Lehner made 36 saves for his second shutout of the season and fourth straight win. With the win, the Isles extend their winning streak to three straight games and have now won six of their last seven games.
"You could tell before the game that the guys were dialed in," Barzal said. "They were ready to go. We knew what was at stake against one of the top teams in the league. If we play like that, this team can be pretty special."
Recap: Barzal's Hat Trick Leads Isles 4-0 Shutout Over Leafs
Mathew Barzal scores a natural hatty, Robin Lehner makes 36 saves for the shutout