Game Preview: Islanders at Maple Leafs

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (14-16-7) AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (22-13-2)

1 PM ET | SCOTIABANK ARENA

WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+

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

The New York Islanders are looking to end 2024 on a high-note when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs in a New Year’s Eve matinee at Scotiabank Arena.

The Isles are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night. Anders Lee and Bo Horvat scored late third period goals, but that’s as close as the comeback bid came. The Isles have alternated wins and losses in their past four games.

The Maple Leafs are also coming off a defeat, as they fell 5-2 to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night. John Tavares and Bobby McMann scored in the loss. The Maple Leafs are 1-3-0 in their last four games.

Tuesday’s game kicks off a home-and-home set for the Isles and Leafs, who will see each other again on Thursday at UBS Arena.

MORNING UPDATES:

- Simon Holmstrom is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not play on Tuesday. Pierre Engvall will draw into the lineup in a corresponding move. Head Coach Patrick Roy said that Casey Cizikas will skate on a line with Bo Horvat and Anthony Duclair, while Engvall will play with Kyle MacLean and Hudson Fasching.

- Toronto Maple Leafs' forward Pontus Holmberg and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson are both sick and will not play on Tuesday.

SEASON SERIES:

The Islanders lead the season series 1-0-0 after scoring a 6-3 win over Toronto on Dec. 21. Bo Horvat led the way with a three-point game (1G, 2A), while Max Tsyplakov, Noah Dobson, Mathew Barzal, JG Pageau and Isaiah George – who scored his first NHL goal – found the back of the net.

William Nylander scored twice for the Leafs, while Bobby McMann rounded out the scoring.

The Islanders and Maple Leafs will wrap up their season series on Thursday at UBS Arena.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• Anders Lee has three goals in his last two games, and leads the Islanders with 16 goals and 30 points in 37 games this season. Lee has five total points (3G, 2A) in his last four games, including a pair of assists in the previous meeting against Toronto.

• Bo Horvat is riding a two-game point streak (1G, 1A) and has five points (2G, 3A) in his last four games. Horvat has six points (4G, 2A) in six games against Toronto since joining the Islanders.

• The Islanders penalty kill went 0-for-2 against the Penguins on Sunday, which marked the sixth-straight game the Islanders had allowed a power-play goal (in games they were shorthanded, since they were not shorthanded vs Toronto). Dating back to Dec. 3, the Islanders penalty kill is 13-for-26 (50%) and has allowed goals in 10 of the 12 games (and 10 of 11 in games they were shorthanded).

• The Islanders power play is 2-for-26 (7.7%) in 12 games starting with Dec. 3 and has not scored in 10 of the 11 games they’ve had a power play.

• While unconfirmed, Ilya Sorokin is the likely starter against the Maple Leafs. Sorokin had started a career-long 12 straight games prior to Marcus Hogberg suiting up on Sunday. Sorokin is 6-3-0 lifetime against the Leafs and has won five straight starts against Toronto. Sorokin's next win would move him into sole possession of fourth on the Islanders all-time wins list, breaking a tie with Kelly Hrudey.

LEAFS NOTES:

• Auston Matthews (upper body) will not play on Tuesday, Maple Leafs Head Coach Craig Berube confirmed on Monday. Matthews will miss his fifth-straight game, but the Leafs forward did take a step forward in his recovery, as Monday marked his first practice since he’d suffered the injury.
• John Tavares is riding a seven-game point streak with 12 points (6G, 6A) over that span, while Mitch Marner is riding an eight-game point streak with 12 points (3G, 9A) over that span. William Nylander’s eight-game point streak came to an end in Toronto’s 5-2 loss to Washington.

• Bobby McMann has six points (4G, 2A) in his last six games for the Leafs and 15 total points (10G, 5A) in 29 games this season.

• Joseph Woll is the expected starter for the Maple Leafs. Woll is 10-6-0 this season with a 2.57 GAA, a .909 SV% and one shutout. Woll was in goal for the first Isles-Leafs meeting this season.