Maple Leafs at Islanders
After setting franchise records with their 46th win overall and 27th at home this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs received their biggest victory this season without stepping foot on the ice. The now-playoff-bound Maple Leafs will vie for their eighth win in 10 outings when they visit the New York Islanders on Friday.
"I think those things are all great, but we've got bigger plans. We're just moving along and trying to get better," Toronto coach Mike Babcock said after Wednesday's 4-3 win over Florida pushed the club to the edge of a postseason berth -- one that was secured after the Panthers dropped a 3-2 shootout loss to Ottawa the following night. Mitch Marner recorded a goal and an assist versus Florida to raise his totals to four and 10, respectively, during his 10-game point streak heading into Friday's tilt versus New York. The Islanders' postseason aspirations sank like an anchor as the team dropped 14 of 16 (2-10-4) to plummet into the cellar of the Metropolitan Division before scratching for a 4-3 win over Ottawa on Tuesday. "As athletes we want to win, we hate losing so we want to compete, we want to go out there and work hard do the right thing," forward Anthony Beauvillier said. "It's about pride, it's about playing for us and it's about feeling good about ourselves."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN4 (Toronto), MSG-Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (46-24-7): Frederik Andersen turned side 30 shots against Florida to record his career-high 36th win this season, with a 28-save performance in a 5-0 victory on Jan. 31 highlighting his dominance over the Islanders. The 28-year-old Dane benefited from Marner and Auston Matthews scoring a goal in both meetings against New York to improve to his career mark to 5-1-1 versus the club. Speaking of Matthews, the former top overall pick hasn't missed a beat since returning from a month-long absence due to a right shoulder injury -- recording two goals and two assists in his last four outings.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (32-35-10): Anders Lee netted his sixth goal in the last six games to open the scoring in the first period on Tuesday and push his team-high total to 39, one shy of New York's previous high output by Jason Blake in 2006-07. The 27-year-old's power-play goal was New York's 10th in its past seven contests. Lee also assumed the team's ironman distinction after Nick Leddy saw his consecutive games streak end on Tuesday, although the latter is expected to join fellow defenseman Johnny Boychuk in being reinserted back into the lineup against the Maple Leafs.
OVERTIME
1. Toronto D Morgan Rielly has set up five goals in his last four games to boost his season total to 43 assists, with a career-high 22 coming at even strength.
2. New York C Casey Cizikas sat out Thursday's practice as he nurses an upper-body injury and has been ruled out for the team's back-to-back set with the Maple Leafs and New Jersey (Saturday).
3. Toronto F Leo Komarov practiced on Thursday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury and is expected to return versus Winnipeg on Saturday.