Among tonight’s scheduled NHL games is a matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Islanders. The Maple Leafs will look to bounce back from a disappointing loss against the Buffalo Sabres. Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to get the start against the Islanders.
Bobrovsky earned his first win with the Leafs last Saturday. However, he was unsuccessful in winning his first home game with Toronto.
Now, Bobrovsky will get another opportunity when the Leafs host the Islanders at Scotiabank Arena.
Head coach Jim Hiller was heavily criticized for the Leafs blowing the lead and ultimately losing to the Sabres. Despite the criticism and how the game ended, he will still turn to the two-time Stanley Cup winner between the pipes.
Maple Leafs Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky Expected to Start Tonight
During the Maple Leafs’ morning skate, it appeared that head coach Jim Hiller had turned to Sergei Bobrovsky for tonight’s game. Although Anthony Stolarz was in net when the Leafs defeated the New York Islanders on Sept. 30, Hiller will be relying on Bobrovsky tonight.
According to David Alter of The Hockey News, Bobrovsky is expected to start against the Islanders.
“Morning skate is about to get underway. Sergei Bobrovsky is in the home net and is the projected starter against the Islanders tonight,” Alter wrote on X.
Although Bobrovsky’s record is 1-2-2 so far this season, it is not an accurate reflection on his performance. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has played well despite being very busy in goal.
Bobrovsky faced 34 shots against the Sabres on Thursday. Before that, he faced 33 shots against the Colorado Avalanche, and 43 shots against the Vegas Golden Knights in his last three starts.
Leafs Nation will hope that the team can clean up their play defensively and provide more support for their starting goaltender. Toronto has yet to win two consecutive games this season.
The Leafs are coming off two consecutive losses, so they will want to get back on track with a win and gain momentum.
Leafs’ Projected Line Combinations for Tonight’s Matchup Against the Islanders
After last Thursday’s game did not go in the Leafs’ favor, Hiller appears to be juggling the lines once again. The Leafs will be without John Tavares, who is week-to-week after suffering an injury against the Sabres.
It will be interesting to see how Hiller manages his lineup, particularly Gavin McKenna’s minutes. Hiller faced criticism for benching the Leafs rookie in Thursday’s loss to the Sabres.
According to TSN’s Mark Masters, the Leafs’ lines at this morning’s skate were as follows:
Roslovic – Matthews – Nylander
Cowan – Paul – Marchenko
McKenna – Sissons – Groulx
Duhaime – Blueger – MacEwen
McCabe – Raddysh
Rielly – Stecher
Ekman-Larsson – Blankenburg
Extra: Rifai
The Leafs’ power play units were also altered. According to Masters, Hiller’s projected power play units for tonight’s matchup are as follows:
Raddysh, Matthews, Marchenko, Nylander, McKenna
Rielly, Blankenburg, Cowan, Roslovic, Groulx
Maple Leafs’ Goalie News Emerges Ahead of Islanders Matchup