Game Preview: Islanders vs Maple Leafs

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (36-27-8) VS MAPLE LEAFS (42-18-9)
7:30 PM ET | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS
WATCH: ESPN+ | HULU
LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM
The New York Islanders return home for a tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at UBS Arena.
The Islanders are coming off a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday to close out a successful California road trip, picking up four of a possible six points. Jean-Gabriel Pageau (SHG, 1A), Kyle Palmieri, Ryan Pulock (PPG) and Zach Parise found the back for the Isles after Kevin Labanc scored the first and only goal for the Sharks.

The Leafs are coming off a 5-4 SO win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday for their second straight win. Jake McCabe, Mitch Marner (1G, 1A) and Calle Jarnkrok (2G) scored in regulation for the Leafs, while Matt Murray made a season-high 48 saves through 60 minutes. After a scoreless overtime, the Maple Leafs pulled off the win, finding the back of the net four times in the nine-round shootout.
The Islanders hold the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 80 points with 11 games remaining in the regular season. The Florida Panthers (79 points) overtook the second wild card spot with a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night, while the Pittsburgh Penguins (78 points) dropped a 2-1 decision to the Ottawa Senators to fall out of the playoff picture. Florida and Pittsburgh each have one game in-hand over the Islanders. The Maple Leafs are slotted second in the Atlantic Division with 93 points.
The Islanders have six home games left in the regular season and are 20-12-3 on home ice.
"There's been a great buzz in the building," Zach Parise said. "You can tell the fans understand where we are in this race, and playoff time is around the corner. There's just been a good vibe around the arena, at the end of the day, we have to give them something to cheer about."

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• After finding themselves down 1-0 on Saturday, the Islanders strung together four unanswered goals in a 4-1 win against the Sharks on Saturday, marking their 18th comeback win of the season. The Islanders won the second and third game of the California road trip, which marks their first winning trip since the 2015-16 season.
  "After the first game, we bounced back," JG Pageau said. "There's a lot of character in this room and we showed up."
  - With Saturday's win, the Islanders matched their season-high nine games over the NHL-.500.
  ISLES VS LEAFS
  ISLANDERS ARTICLES
  3 Takeaways: Islanders 4, Sharks 1
  Isles DTD: Bolduc Recalled
  Engvall Settling In
  Maven's Memories: Trent Hunter
  Talkin' Isles: Bryan Trottier
  GAME EXTRAS
  Become a Season Ticket Member
  Race to the Rink
  Reverse Retro Jersey
  Talkin' Isles
  Isles History
  - Pierre Engvall will face his former team in the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, for the first time since the trade. The 26-year-old winger was drafted 188th overall by the organization in the seventh round of the 2014 NHL Draft, playing for Toronto for four seasons before arriving on Long Island. Engvall is sizzling for the Islanders, riding a four-game point streak with five points (3G, 2A) over that span. The coach said he has contributed important qualities to the line with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri.
  "[Engvall] has added speed," Lambert said. "He's done a nice job of getting in and hunting pucks. He's a big guy, he's got a long reach and he's got a good stick. That trio has worked out."
  - Hudson Fasching is riding a two-game point streak with two points (1G, 1A) over that span.
  - Pageau played three games since his return from injury, recording four points (2G, 2A) over the span of the California road trip after being sidelined for 12 consecutive games. Pageau has played the past two games with Parise and Fasching.
  "It can be tough when you miss a chunk of time, but I thought he stepped in and played well right away," Parise said of his linemate. "To get JG back with all the important roles, it's a big boost."
  - Kyle Palmieri has five points (2G, 3A) in his last two games.
  - Parise scored his 426th career goal on Saturday night and moved to 83rd on the all-time list, tied with Boston's Patrice Bergeron. The 38-year-old winger has 29 points (18G, 11A) in his 18th NHL season, his second as an Islander.
  "He consistently works hard," Lambert said of Parise. "He does everything right. He's a reliable guy and he's been rewarded for going to the net with his production this year."
  - Islanders legend Butch Goring will be honored for Tuesday's theme night. The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a free bobblehead.

LEAFS NOTES

• Toronto will face New York in the second of a five-game road trip, after opening the road stretch with a 5-4 SO win over the Senators.
  - Calle Jarnkrok is riding a four-game point streak with six points (3G, 3A) over that span, including a two-goal outing on Saturday against Ottawa. The 31-year-old forward reached a career-high 17 goals in his first season with the Leafs. His 35 points on the season ties a career-best, set in the 2017-18 season when he was with the Nashville Predators.
  - Noel Acciari left the game in the first period after a hit in Friday's 5-2 win against Carolina. Toronto acquired the 31-year-old center as well as Ryan O'Reilly on Feb. 18 in a trade involving the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild. Since arriving in Toronto, Acciari tallied three points (3G) through 13 games. He did not play on Saturday against Ottawa but is expected to face the Islanders on Tuesday.
  "He looked good on the ice," Head Coach Sheldon Keefe said of Acciari after practice on Monday. "He had good days since he left the game the other night. All signs point toward him being available tomorrow."
  - The Maple Leafs also acquired Luke Schenn from the Vancouver Canucks ahead of the NHL trade deadline. The defenseman played in four games since the acquisition and has yet to hit the scoresheet.
  - William Nylander leads his team in goals (35), which also sets a career-high for the 26-year-old winger in his eighth season with Toronto.
  - Mitch Marner leads his team in points (89) for his third 80+ point season, with 26 goals and 63 assists in his seventh season with the Maple Leafs. Marner's 63 helpers are good for fourth in the NHL.
  - Ilya Samsonov and his wife welcomed their first child over the weekend. According to Keefe, the 26-year-old netminder is traveling with the team to Long Island and will be prepared to start.
  - Toronto sports the second-best power play in the NHL (25.9%).
  - The Leafs are 17-11-4 on the road this season.