Game Preview: Islanders at Maple Leafs

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (38-24-5) AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (29-27-12)

7:00 PM | SCOTIABANK ARENA

WATCH/STREAM: MSGSN | GOTHAM SPORTS APP 

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | ISLANDERS + UBS ARENA APP

The New York Islanders hit the road and take on the Toronto Maple Leafs to begin their final multi-game road trip of the season.

New York fended off the Calgary Flames 3-2 at UBS Arena on Saturday night. Three first period goals from Simon Holmstrom (2G) and Casey Cizikas were enough to squeeze out the win. David Rittich saved 30 of the 32 shots he faced as he earned his first career win against his former team.

PROJECTED LINES

Here is how the Islanders lined up at Monday’s practice. Check back after Tuesday’s morning skate for any updates to the lineup.

Emil Heineman – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal 
Anthony Duclair – Brayden Schenn – Simon Holmstom
Anders Lee – JG Pageau – Cal Ritchie
Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Ondrej Palat 
Marc Gatcomb

Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo
Carson Soucy – Scott Mayfield 
Adam Boqvist

David Rittich
Ilya Sorokin 

SHABANOV MISSES MONDAY PRACTICE

Max Shabanov (day to day) missed Monday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center with a lower body injury ahead of the Islanders’ three-game road trip.

Shabanov was not in the lineup against Calgary on Saturday night but played against the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues before that. The rookie has 16 points (4G, 12A) in 42 games this season.

VARLAMOV TAKES SHOTS AT PRACTICE

Semyon Varlamov joined the Islanders on the ice and took shots between the pipes at the end of their Monday practice. He spent most of the practice session on the opposite rink at Northwell, and his return to the team session was celebrated with stick taps and hugs from his teammates.

Varlamov hasn’t played a game since Nov. 29, 2024, and isn’t expected to return to the lineup at any point this season. Even so, the Russian netminder has been skating on his own daily.

STRONG PENALTY KILLS

Jean-Gabriel Pageau recorded the primary assist on Holmstrom’s shorthanded score against the Flames and earned his league-leading seventh shorthanded point (3G, 4A) of the season. 

The Isles rank third, behind only the Buffalo Sabres (10) and Calgary Flames (11), with nine shorties.

CLUTCH IN CLOSE GAMES

The Islanders earned their league-leading 25^th one-goal victory this season and eighth in their last nine outings with the 3-2 win over the Flames on Saturday night.

New York needs one more one-goal victory to tie the single-season franchise record of such wins (26), which was set in the 2014-15 season.

SEASON SERIES AND STANDINGS

This is the second of three regular season meetings between the Isles and Maple Leafs this year. New York edged out Toronto 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 3 at UBS Arena.

The Islanders (81 points) are two points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins (83 points) for second in the Metropolitan Division, with both teams even in games played. The Columbus Blue Jackets (79 points) are right behind the Isles with one game in-hand.

MAPLE LEAFS NOTES

Toronto enters Tuesday’s game coming off a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday and are 2-0-1 in their last three games. Morgan Rielly, Bo Groulx (2G) and Matthew Kines were the goalscorers in the Canadian squad’s recent victory.

The Maple Leafs (70 points) sit seventh in the Atlantic Division and 11 points behind the Boston Bruins (81 points) for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Auston Matthews will not suit up against the Islanders on Tuesday night and is out for the rest of the season with a MCL tear. He suffered the injury following a knee-on-knee collision with Radko Gudas of the Anaheim Ducks on Mar. 12. Matthews led the team with 27 goals, including a pair in the 4-3 defeat to the Isles earlier this season, and ranks fourth on the team with 53 points (27G, 26A) this season.

On Mar. 5, Toronto sent Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2027 first-round draft pick and a 2026 fifth-round selection. Roy tallied 20 points (5G, 15A) in 59 games for the Maple Leafs this season.

On Mar. 6, Bobby McMann was traded to the Seattle Kraken in return for a conditional 2027 second-round pick (via CBJ) and a 2026 fourth-round pick (via ANA). McMann had 32 points (19G, 13A) and 135 hits for the team in blue at the time of the trade.

John Tavares will play his former squad for the 18^th time on Tuesday. Tavares has 13 points (7G, 6A) in 17 career games against the Islanders but did not find the scoresheet in the first meeting of the season at UBS Arena. The 35-year-old ranks third on Toronto with 55 points (23G, 32A) this year.

William Nylander leads the Maple Leafs with 63 points (23G, 40A) in 51 games played this season. Nylander didn’t play in the last meeting between these two teams.

Toronto ranks fourth in the NHL with 1,551 hits and 1,055 blocked shots.

The Maple Leafs own the 18^th best power-play unit (19.8%) and third best penalty kill (83.5%) in the NHL this season.