Defenseman Samuel Bolduc makes his NHL debut for Islanders

TORONTO — Samuel Bolduc was in Bridgeport, Connecticut, at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday when he got the call to make his way to Long Island in time for the Islanders’ team charter, which was departing at 2 p.m.

“Luckily, there was no traffic,” Bolduc said.

The 6-4, 220-pound defenseman made his NHL debut — logging 14:28 with one shot and one blocked shot — as the Islanders lost to the Maple Leafs, 5-2, on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena.

“It was pretty amazing,” Bolduc said. “At first it was hard to realize that I was realizing one of my dreams.”

Noah Dobson missed a game for the first time this season and is day-to-day. Coach Lane Lambert said he was dealing with a “little issue” from Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the visiting Hurricanes.

Bolduc, 22, was a second-round pick in 2019 and has been selected as an AHL All-Star with eight goals and 18 assists in 40 games for Bridgeport. Injuries slowed his development the previous two seasons.

“It helps to be healthy,” Bolduc said. “After three years, confidence grows up.”

“He looked poised, which we feel that he is,” Lambert said. “He’s a big guy. I liked the way he played.”

Notes & quotes: Former Islanders captain John Tavares is on schedule to play his 1,000th career game when the Maple Leafs host the Capitals on Sunday. Tavares played 669 games for the Islanders before signing a seven-year, $77 million deal with his hometown Maple Leafs in 2018. “It’s hard to believe,” Tavares said. “It’s hard to take in. Just a lot of gratitude for a lot of people that helped me get to this point. I’ve played for two great organizations.” . . . Mathew Barzal’s second-period assist was his first point in eight games . . . Ross Johnston was a healthy scratch after two games in the lineup.