Islanders Open 2025 At UBS Arena Against Maple Leafs: Lines & Notes

Islanders open 2025 at home, looking to flip the script.

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Jan 03, 2025

ELMONT, NY — With the new year officially underway, the New York Islanders (14-17-7) kickoff 2025 on Long Island against the Toronto Maple Leafs (23-13-2).

Puck drop at UBS Arena and the game can be found exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu.

The Islanders fell in Toronto to finish the 2024 portion of their schedule on Tuesday.

Steven Lorentz scored the game-winner just 16 seconds after Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s equalizer in the middle stages of the second period.

Following Thursday’s game, the Islanders will embark on a three-game road trip, with the Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Utah Hockey Club on the docket. After the trip, the Islanders begin a season-long, seven-game homestand.

LINEUP UPDATES:

For the Islanders, forward Simon Holmstrom is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will miss his second straight game. Pierre Engvall remains in on the fourth line.

The Maple Leafs will once again be without Auston Matthews on Thursday. He will miss his sixth straight game due to an upper-body injury. Forward Pontus Holmberg will not play due to illness.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Lee-Barzal-Pageau

Tsyplakov-Nelson-Palmieri

Cizikas-Horvat-Duclair

Engvall-MacLean-Fasching

Romanov-Dobson

Pelech-Pulock

George-Mayfield

Sorokin

Hogberg

WHO’S HOT:

Pageau has goals in both games against the Maple Leafs for New York this season. He has nine red lights this season in 36 games, putting him on pace for about 20 goals, the most since joining the Islanders.

Mathew Barzal added a helper on Pageau’s goal, extending his point streak against Toronto to seven games. The forward boasts three goals and seven assists for 10 points in that span, in addition to a four-point game on Jan. 11, 2024.

Noah Dobson tallied an assist to continue his strong performance against Toronto early in his career. In 11 games against the Maple Leafs, he has three goals and 10 assists for 13 points.

Although both were kept off the board on Tuesday, Bo Horvat and Anders Lee are tied for the lead in goals among active Islanders against the Maple Leafs with nine. However, Horvat leads in assists and points against them, owning 13 and 22, respectively.

Ilya Sorokin will face the Maple Leafs once again on Thursday night. He took the loss in their matchup on Tuesday, surrendering two goals on 24 shots. Against Toronto lifetime, he is 6-4-0 with a 2.80 GAA and .917 SV% in 10 starts.

OPPONENT’S NOTES:

William Nylander had two assists on Tuesday, giving him a point-per-game average in his career against New York. In 23 career matchups, he has nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points, including two goals and three assists in his last three games against them.

Mitch Marner had an assist on Tuesday to give him a nine-game point streak. The forward has three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in that span, including a hat trick against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. He also has a six-game point streak games against the Islanders, boasting two goals and four assists.

John Tavares extended his point streak to eight games with his goal on Tuesday. The former Islanders captain has seven goals and six assists for 13 points in that span, tallying a hat trick against the Buffalo Sabres. He also has a three-game point streak against New York entering play on Thursday, boasting two goals and two assists in that span.

Max Pacioretty leads the active Maple Leafs roster in goals and points against New York with 12 in 34 games. Nylander has 14 assists and 23 points against the Islanders to take the lead in both of those departments.

After winning Tuesday’s game, Joseph Woll is projected to start the rematch for the Maple Leafs. He stopped 30-of-31 shots to pick up the win at Scotiabank Arena, allowing him to improve to 2-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .929 SV% in three career games against the Islanders.