Game Preview: Islanders vs Maple Leafs

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (18-12-10) VS TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (21-10-7)

7 P.M. | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS

WATCH: ESPN

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | ESPN STREAM

The New York Islanders are hoping the force is with them, as they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Star Wars night at UBS Arena on Thursday.

The Islanders fell 5-2 on Tuesday night at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks. Brock Nelson scored two goals, but Filip Hronek (1G, 1A), Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Tyler Myers and Dakota Joshua (ENG) led the way offensively. Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves in the loss.

The Maple Leafs bulldozed the San Jose Sharks 7-1 on Tuesday night for their fourth consecutive win. Mitch Marner had a four-point performance (2G, 2A) and William Nylander had a three-point night (3A) in the win, while Martin Jones made 22 saves in his fourth straight victory.

The Islanders took down the Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 11 to get a leg up on the season series 1-0-0. After Thursday’s contest, they’ll meet for the final time of the season on Feb. 5 in the first matchup after the NHL All-Star break.

MORNING SKATE UPDATES:

- Casey Cizikas is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced on Thursday. The center blocked a shot at the end of the first period of Tuesday's contest against Vancouver and eventually left the game after taking one shift in the second period.

- Martin Jones is the expected starter on Thursday. The 34-year-old netminder is having a solid season, sporting an 8-3-0 record with a 1.98 GAA, .934 SV% and two shutouts. Through his 11-year NHL career, Jones has a record of 4-5-0 against the Islanders with a .907 SV% and a 2.46 GAA.

ISLANDERS NOTES

- Adam Pelech returned to the lineup on Tuesday after missing 20 games with an upper-body injury. In his first game since Nov. 24, the veteran defenseman skated 17:33, recording one hit and two blocked shots.

- Casey Cizikas blocked a shot at the end of the first period and eventually left the game after taking one shift in the second period. Head Coach Lane Lambert didn’t have an update on Cizikas’ status after the game.

- Brock Nelson’s pair of goals on Tuesday marked his fourth multi-goal game of the season and 496th and 497th NHL points. The center is up to 798 career games and is expected to reach his milestone 800th on Saturday against Nashville.

- With an assist against Vancouver on Tuesday night, Mathew Barzal has an 11-game point streak with 18 points (3G, 15A) against Vancouver, marking his longest active streak against any opponent.

- Per Islanders team statistician Eric Hornick, Noah Dobson (32) and Mathew Barzal (30) each have at least 30 assists in the team's first 40 games. The Islanders have not had teammates hit that mark that since 1984-85, when Brent Sutter (39), Mike Bossy (38) and John Tonelli (30) all did.

MAPLE LEAFS NOTES

- The Maple Leafs rank third in the Atlantic Division with 49 points. After dropping five of six of their last matchups (1-4-1) to close out the month of December, Toronto has turned over a new leaf in the new year, winning the first four games of 2024.

- Ilya Samsonov was recalled on Wednesday from the Toronto Marlies, the Maple Leaf’s’ AHL league affiliate. The 26-year-old was placed on waivers on Dec. 31 after struggling this season, with a 3.94 GAA and a .862 SV% through 15 games. Samsonov practiced with the Marlies but did not play in game action with the team. Per Maple Leafs Head Coach Sheldon Keefe, Samsonov will backup Martin Jones against the Islanders on Thursday.

- Noah Gregor joined the team for practice on Wednesday after missing Tuesday's 7-1 win over the Sharks with an illness. The 25-year-old forward played in all other 37 games this season with five goals and two assists.

- William Nylander inked an eight-year contract extension on Monday. The 27-year-old forward has 57 points (21G, 36A), which is tied for third in the NHL. He spent all nine NHL seasons with Toronto, racking up 487 career points (198G, 289A) since he was drafted eighth overall in the 2014 NHL Draft.

- With a four-point performance on Tuesday against the Sharks, Mitch Marner reached 598 career points and surpassed Frank Mahovlich (597) for sole possession of the seventh most in franchise history.