Budsfan
Registered User
- Sep 17, 2006
- 19,218
- 1,365
Wednesday game preview: New York Islanders at Toronto Maple Leafs
Islanders rookie Mathew Barzal is a Calder Trophy favourite.
Wednesday game preview: New York Islanders at Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto Star
Leafs forward Mitch Marner has 14 points in his last 17 games. (Rick Madonik / Toronto Star) | Order this photo
By Mark ZwolinskiSports Reporter
Tues., Jan. 30, 2018
AIR CANADA CENTRE
PUCK DROP: 7:30 p.m.
TV: Sportsnet
RADIO: TSN 1050
KEY PLAYERS
Barzal/Marner
A matchup of two of the most talented young players in the NHL. Islanders forward Mathew Barzal leads all rookies in scoring with 51 points (16 goals, 35 assists) and is one of the favourites for the Calder Trophy with Vancouver’s Brock Boeser (24 goals). The Leafs’ Mitch Marner has been lifting fans out of their seats the past month with some terrific plays and rushes, and has 14 points in his last 17 games.
NEED TO KNOW
The Islanders have a superb top six forward corps, with John Tavares centring Anders Lee and Josh Bailey on the top line and Barzal joining Jordan Eberle, and Anthony Beauvillier, another rookie, on the second line. The Bailey leads the Islanders with 27 goals, while Tavares leads the team with 57 points (26 goals, 31 assists). He’s on pace for 93 points, which would be his second-highest season total . . . The Islanders entered the break on a positive note, going 2-0-1 on a three-game road trip, including a gutsy 2-1 win over Vegas. That left them one point behind the second wild-card berth in the East (shared by the Flyers and Devils heading into Tuesday). New York faced Florida Tuesday night before heading to Toronto . . . The Islanders were hoping Casey Cizikas (upper body) could return to the lineup Tuesday or Wednesday. Defenceman Johnny Boychuk (lower body) and forward Andrew Ladd (lower body) have been practising with the team but will not play in Toronto.
UP NEXT
Thursday, at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
Leafs Gameday: New York Islanders
Terry KoshanMore from Terry Koshan
Leafs Gameday: New York Islanders
New York Islanders centre Mathew Barzal is so fast ``he can make you look stupid,`` says Leafs defenceman Travis Dermott.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS (25-20-5) at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (28-18-5)
7:30 p.m., Air Canada Centre, Sportsnet, TSN Radio 1050
BIG MATCHUP
Nazem Kadri vs. John Tavares
The two go back to their time as teammates with the London Knights during the 2008-09 season, when Tavares joined Kadri following a trade from Oshawa. Kadri has not brought the kind of scoring consistency to the NHL that Tavares has, though the Leafs centre is capable. One of Kadri or Auston Matthews will draw Tavares, while the other will get rookie Mathew Barzal. Either way, a couple of contentious matchups await.
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Refer to last week
A big reason why Mike Babcock did not mess with his lines upon returning from the all-star break: “The lines were fine, but I liked the work ethic, I liked the speed of the team. I liked the way we got after it instead of standing around watching it.” The Leafs were good in wins in Chicago and Dallas, and Babcock wants to see the same at home.
2. Zaitsev’s return
While Babcock said Zaitsev would need to get through the morning skate before being cleared, the player himself said he was ready to play after missing 17 games. Zaitsev will bear a big chunk of the load while the Leafs are shorthanded and should be a guiding hand for partner Travis Dermott. Now, to just get Morgan Rielly back.
3. Tavares on tap
The best players shrug off outside distractions with ease, and that can be said for John Tavares, who is headed for unrestricted free agency this summer but was sitting in fifth in NHL scoring. Tavares is a force with the puck and has given the Leafs trouble in the past, recording 26 points in 26 games, including 12 goals (with four game winners).
4. Barzal a handful
A couple of Leafs — Travis Dermott and Mitch Marner — who have played with the Islanders’ Mathew Barzal for Canada’s junior team know he can be difficult to contain. Barzal, with 51 points, was running away with the rookie scoring lead. “Speed,” Dermott said. “He can take off like no one else. He can make you look stupid.”
5. Forget the race
Auston Matthews was saying on Tuesday that the Leafs “can’t be complacent” even though their playoff spot in the standings seems assured. That attitude would be handy against an Islanders team that arrived early Wednesday morning after playing at home against Florida. The Leafs need to take control against a possibly weary club.
MAPLE LEAFS LINES
LW-C-RW
Zach Hyman-Auston Matthews-William Nylander
Patrick Marleau-Nazem Kadri-Mitch Marner
James van Riemsdyk-Tyler Bozak-Connor Brown
Leo Komarov-Dominic Moore-Kasperi Kapanen
Defence pairs
Jake Gardiner-Ron Hainsey
Travis Dermott-Nikita Zaitsev
Andreas Borgman-Connor Carrick
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
ISLANDERS LINES
LW-C-RW
Anders Lee-John Tavares-Josh Bailey
Anthony Beauvillier-Mathew Barzal-Jordan Eberle
Jason Chimera-Brock Nelson-Tanner Fritz
Alan Quine-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck
Defence pairs
Nick Leddy-Scott Mayfield
Adam Pelech-Sebastian Aho
Thomas Hickey-Ryan Pulock
Goaltenders
Jaroslav Halak
Thomas Greiss
INJURIES
Islanders — D Johnny Boychuk (lower body), D Calvin de Haan (shoulder), F Nikolay Kulemin (shoulder), F Andrew Ladd (upper body), F Shane Prince (upper body).
Maple Leafs — D Morgan Rielly (upper body), F Nikita Soshnikov (lower body).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power play
Islanders: 20.1% (13th)
Maple Leafs: 21.0% (8th)
Penalty kill
Islanders: 73.5% (30th)
Maple Leafs: 83.2% (6th)
Last edited:
