NEW YORK _ The chants of "We don't need you" rang through NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum again, now a staple when John Tavares returns to play against his former home with his new team, the Maple Leafs.
It was the case on Wednesday night when the Islanders, outplayed for lengthy stretches through the first two periods, were the better team when it mattered in the third period. They extended their point streak to 12-0-1 with a 5-4 win to conclude a season-long, four-game homestand as they matched their season high for goals.
Anthony Beauvillier scored twice, Derick Brassard had a goal and two assists, Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist _ leading to "Barzy's better chants" _ and Semyon Varlamov made 23 saves for the Islanders (13-3-1).
Frederik Andersen stopped 25 shots for the Maple Leafs (9-7-4), who scored twice in the last 1:47 to close the gap after Casey Cizikas' empty-net goal at 17:32. Tavares had a goal and an assist.
There were loud boos when Tavares stepped on the ice for pre-game warmups. There was sustained booing when he was introduced as a starter and whenever he lined up to take a faceoff. Or touched the puck. Or when his primary assist on Kasperi Kapanen's second-period goal _ his 100th point with the Maple Leafs _ was announced. And when he scored the game's last goal at 19:22 with Andersen pulled for an extra skater.
But there were no jerseys thrown at him or plastic snakes thrown on the ice, as was the case the first time he came to the Coliseum as a visitor.
That was on Feb. 28 in a game originally scheduled for Barclays Center but strategically moved to Uniondale. The Islanders beat the shell-shocked Maple Leafs, 6-1, in front of a crazed, sell-out crowd. The Islanders also won their first meeting against Tavares' Maple Leafs, 4-0, at Toronto on Dec. 29, 2018, as Barzal had his second career hat trick. The Maple Leafs did clinch a playoff berth _ with Tavares scoring the winner _ with a 2-1 victory at the Coliseum on April 1.
The Islanders' 2-for-3 power play helped the Islanders clinch this victory as Barzal stickhandled through the Maple Leafs' defense and fed Brassard for a one-timer on the man advantage to make it 4-2 at 8:07 of the third period.
The Maple Leafs dominated a fast-paced second period _ there were no stoppages between 2:58 and 10:40 _ and held a 12-1 shot advantage in the period at 14:43. That helped Toronto tie the game at 2-2. Kapanen made it 2-1 just 43 seconds in, getting to the crease to tip in defenseman Travis Dermott's shot from the left point which had already deflected off of Tavares' skate.
William Nylander, getting to the crease to redirect defenseman Jake Muzzin's feed, tied it at 11:22.
But coach Barry Trotz altered his lines midway through the period, sitting burly left wing Ross Johnston _ who iced the puck and took a hooking penalty on his second shift of the first period _ and putting Brassard back on Brock Nelson's right wing with Beauvillier. Brassard, with right wing Leo Komarov back in the lineup after missing nine games, started the game centering the third line.
Brassard forced a turnover in the Maple Leafs' zone and fed Beauvillier at the right post for a 3-2 lead at 16:43 of the second period.
The Islanders were struggling in their own end and being outshot 5-2 when Jordan Eberle stickhandled through traffic on the right and found a wide-open Barzal in the left circle for a one-timer and a 1-0 lead at 14:23 of the first period.
They held the Maple Leafs without another shot the rest of the first period and took a 2-0 lead with 39.0 seconds to go on Beauvillier's power-play wrist shot from the left off Andersen's glove.
