Game Preview: Islanders at Maple Leafs

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (25-21-5) AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (28-18-5)
7:30 P.M. - AIR CANADA CENTRE
TV: MSG+, MSG GO
RADIO: 88.7FM - WRHU, 101.9FM/660AM - WFAN
Usually the second half of a home-and-road, back-to-back isn't a game a team welcomes, but after dropping a 4-1 decision to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, the New York Islanders wanted to get back on the ice right away.
The Isles are getting that opportunity as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night at Air Canada Centre, one night after a game they felt they were outworked in for two periods.

"After a game like that, I think everyone's happy that we play tomorrow and get another chance," Adam Pelech said after Tuesday's game.
The Panthers frustrated the Islanders through two periods with stifling play in the neutral zone and waited to counterpunch the Isles, but Wednesday's game should be a different matchup stylistically, as the Leafs play a speed and skill game. The Isles-Leafs matchup pits two of the highest-scoring teams against each other, as the Islanders (3.33 goals-per-game) are third while the Leafs (3.10) are seventh.
As Weight said in his postgame press conference, the Islanders position in the standings should be all the motivation his team needs. As of Wednesday morning, the Islanders are one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the final playoff spot, though the Flyers - who play Washington tonight - have two games in hand.
"The deficit is we're out of the playoffs right now, so that [urgency] should be kicked in at 7 o clock, not 8:30," Head Coach Doug Weight said. "As a player you have to be ready to start the game and it should be with reckless abandon right now."

LINEUP NOTES:

Andrew Ladd is in for Alan Quine. Dennis Seidenberg is in for Sebastian Aho. Thomas Greiss will start in goal.
Ladd activated off IR earlier in the day while Shane Prince was placed on IR retroactive to Jan. 18. Ladd will play with Brock Nelson and Jason Chimera. Greiss is making his first start since making a career-high 52 saves in his last start on Jan. 15 in Montreal.
"Ladder is gritty, experienced guy that's played in a lot of these big games and certainly that's the time of year it is right now for us," Weight said. "He fits the real identity of our team and is something we need. We have two pretty high scoring lines and he's proven to be able to score as well, but play a real reliable defense, a simple game, a gritty game. Excited to get him back."
ISLANDERS PROJECTED LINES:
| FORWARDS | | --- | | LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING | | ANDERS LEE | JOHN TAVARES | JOSH BAILEY | | ANTHONY BEAUVILLIER | MATHEW BARZAL | JORDAN EBERLE | | ANDREW LADD | BROCK NELSON | JASON CHIMERA | | CASEY CIZIKAS | TANNER FRITZ | CAL CLUTTERBUCK |

| DEFENSE | | --- | | NICK LEDDY | SCOTT MAYFIELD | | ADAM PELECH | DENNIS SEIDENBERG | | THOMAS HICKEY | RYAN PULOCK |

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SEASON SERIES:

This is the first meeting between the Leafs and Isles this season. Last season the Islanders went 2-1-0 against the Leafs, winning both meetings in Brooklyn and losing their only trip to Toronto.

BY THE NUMBERS:

1776 - shots allowed by the Islanders this season. It's the most allowed in the NHL.
43 - assists for Josh Bailey.The 43 assists match a career-high for Bailey and he becomes the second Islanders winger since Mike Bossy to record multiple 43-assist seasons.
Power Play:Isles: 20% - 13th,Leafs:20.98% - 8th
Penalty Kill: Isles: 73.5% - 30th, Leafs: 83.23% - 6th

THE MAPLE LEAFS:

Last game:W 4-1 vs Dallas
Leading Scorers:Goals:Auston Matthews - 22
Assists: Mitch Marner - 27
Points: Auston Matthews - 37
The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone 5-3-3 in the month of January, which has been enough to keep them comfortably among the Atlantic Division's top teams. The Leafs have 61 points in 51 games for third in the Atlantic, 15 points clear of fourth-place Florida.
Toronto is only one of six teams who did not play Tuesday night - the first game back from the league's all-star break. The Leafs won two straight games heading into the all-star break, most recently beating the Dallas Stars 4-1 at Air Canada Centre.
Defenseman Jake Gardiner is one of the hottest Leafs offensively, with nine assists in his last five games including three assists against Dallas. Leading scorer Auston Matthews has four points (3G, 1A) in his last four games.
Toronto's primary goaltender, Frederik Andersen is among the NHL league leaders with 24 wins this season. Andersen is 24-14-4 with a .920 save percentage.
Defenseman Morgan Rielly has missed four straight games with a reported arm injury.
MAPLE LEAFS PROJECTED LINES:
\With files from John Napolitano*