The goal is simple, win this, eliminate the Islanders, set the eastern playoff teams and get ready for the Flyers on Tuesday.
New York Islanders @ Toronto Maple Leafs
7:30 pm on SNO and MSG+
Note the start time, which should be illegal on a Sunday.
It feels like we just played a game yesterday, so I don’t know why the Leafs asked the Islanders over tonight, but here we are.
If the Leafs defeat the Islanders in regulation, the Capitals will qualify for the playoffs, the Islanders will be eliminated from playoff contention, and the eastern conference playoff teams will be set.
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) April 17, 2022
Them
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Leafs have two guys who are 38, and they have none, obviously we know who is better.
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The Leafs and the Islanders account for a very high percentage of the right-side tail.
Last time out the Islanders were (from Daily Faceoff, where they give you lines, starting goalies and actual journalism and opinion on the NHLPA report):
Anders Lee – Brock Nelson – Anthony Beauvillier
Josh Bailey – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Kyle Palmieri
Zach Parise – Mathew Barzal – Kieffer Bellows
Matt Martin – Casey Cizikas – Ross Johnston
Zdeno Chara – Noah Dobson
Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock
2ebastian Aho – Andy Greene
Ilya Sorokin
Ken Appleby
The Islanders played in Montréal on Friday, and reading the Tweets of their media, you would think the Habs won, but no! The Islanders lit them up 3-0 with Sorokin in net. Assume Varlamov goes tonight. UPDATE: Varlamov is out tonight. Sorokin is in net again per Andrew Gross from Newsday.
Us
Michael Bunting – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
(Uh oh! Pre-Game Update: Matthews is out!)
Sheldon Keefe says Auston Matthews will not play tonight and is day-to-day. Something happened last night. They say it is minor.
— David Alter (@dalter) April 17, 2022
Us, take two:
Ilya Mikheyev – John Tavares – Mitch Marner
William Nylander – Alexander Kerfoot – Pierre Engvall
Michael Bunting – David Kämpf – Colin Blackwell
Nick Abruzzese – Jason Spezza – Wayne Simmonds
Morgan Rielly – Ilya Lyubushkin
TJ Brodie – Justin Holl
Mark Giordano – Timothy Liljegren
Jack Campbell – confirmed starter
Erik Källgren
The Game
The wins are less and less important now. With a four-point cushion on the Lightning, and too high a hill to climb to catch the Panthers, it all looks set.
Eliminating the Islanders personally is a worthy goal, though.
Go Leafs Go! Don’t get hurt.