Game Preview: Islanders vs Maple Leafs

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (12-7-7) VS TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (14-6-4)

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As their season-long six-game homestand continues, the New York Islanders are vying for the third consecutive win as they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.

JG Pageau scored the overtime-winner 13 seconds into the extra frame in a thrilling 3-2 comeback win for the Islanders against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. Anders Lee scored two goals in the third period to erase a 2-0 deficit, while Ilya Sorokin made 34 saves in a game that snapped the Kings’ historic 11-game road win streak.

Head Coach Lane Lambert was satisfied with the performance of the third period - and the result - after the Islanders earned their first victory of the season when trailing after two periods.

“We talked about playing on our toes and playing aggressive, it’s a work in progress,” Lambert said after Saturday’s win. “We’re pretty happy with the third period tonight and we’ll go from there.”

The Maple Leafs cruised past the Nashville Predators 4-0 on Saturday night on home ice. David Kampf, Auston Matthews (2G) and Noah Gregor led the way for Toronto offensively while Ilya Samsonov stopped all 18 shots he faced in the win.

Both teams are riding five-game point streaks as the Islanders (4-0-1) and Maple Leafs (4-0-1) faceoff for the first matchup of the season series. Last season, the Islanders had the edge with a record of 2-1-0 through three meetings.

MORNING SKATE UPDATES

- Ilya Sorokin was the first goaltender off the ice for the Islanders. He has a record of 7-4-6 this season, along with a .913 SV%, a 3.12 GAA and two shutouts. 

- Grant Hutton was returned on loan to the Bridgeport Islanders on Monday morning. The 28-year-old played two games with the Islanders and has five points (5A) with Bridgeport this season. 

- Maple Leafs defenseman William Lagesson (illness) participated in morning skate after missing two straight games. He will be a game-time decision against the Islanders on Monday, per Head Coach Sheldon Keefe. 

- Ilya Samsonov is the expected starting netminder for Toronto. The 26-year-old is 5-1-3 this season with a 3.21 GAA and an .866 SV%. Against the Islanders, Samsonov has six wins through 10 starts.

ISLANDERS NOTES

- The Islanders are on a five-game point streak (4-0-1) to mark their third five-game point streak of the season. The Islanders have picked up points in 11 of their last 12 and sport a record of 7-1-4 in that span. The Islanders sit in fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 31 points, tied with the Capitals in the standings although Washington has one game in-hand. Since the Caps are idle on Monday, the Islanders have the chance to leapdrog them in the standings. 

- JG Pageau recorded his third career overtime goal and his first as an Islander on Saturday night, going five-hole on Cam Talbot to bury the game-winner. The Islanders improved their overtime record to 2-5 this season.

“What a finish,” Lambert said of Pageau’s OT winner. “He really made a nice move and put it away. It was nice to see for our whole group as well, because we’ve had chances in overtime in some of the games where we lost late, where we had breakaways and hit goal posts. It was nice to see it go in tonight.”

- Robert Bortuzzo made his Islanders debut on Saturday night, recording one blocked shot, two hits and 16:03 TOI skating in a pair with Samuel Bolduc. The right-handed, 6’4 defenseman was aqcuired by Islanders on Friday in light of Ryan Pulock’s IR designation.

- With an assist on Lee’s game-tying goal, Bo Horvat extended his point streak to six games with 10 points (4G, 6A) over that span. The center has 15 assists and 24 points on the season.

- Mathew Barzal maintains the team lead in points (28) and assists (19).

- Mike Reilly has four points (1G, 3A) in his last three games.

- The Islanders are 6-3-5 on home ice this season.

MAPLE LEAFS NOTES

- Toronto is looking for their third straight win as they face off against the Islanders on Monday in the first half of a back-to-back set.

- Goaltender Joseph Woll is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced on Saturday. The 25-year-old netminder has eight wins through 13 starts this season along with a .916 SV% and a 2.80 GAA.

- Timothy Liljegren is out with a lower-body injury suffered in a 3-2 SO loss to the Boston Bruins on Nov. 2. Getting closer to a return, the defenseman joined his team for the first time as full participant at the morning skate on Saturday. He has one point (1A) through 10 games this season.

- Auston Matthews leads the Leafs in goals (18) in his eighth season with the team. The 26-year-old forward had a pair of goals in Saturday's 4-0 shutout win and has three multi-point games in his last four outings.

- William Nylander is the team leader in points (32) and assists (19) in his ninth season in Toronto. The 27-year-old is riding a four-game point streak with five points (1G, 4A).

- The Maple Leafs sit third in the Atlantic Division with 32 points and a record of 14-6-4.