The Toronto Maple Leafs tackle the New York Islanders on Thursday evening in a late-season matchup with very totally different stakes, because the Islanders struggle to keep alive within the playoff race whereas Toronto performs out the ultimate stretch of its season.
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How to Watch Maple Leafs vs Islanders
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
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Toronto enters the matchup already eradicated from playoff rivalry, sitting close to the underside of the Atlantic Division with 78 factors on the season. Their defensive struggles have been a significant problem, permitting over 3.5 targets per sport, one of many worst marks within the NHL.
Despite that, the Maple Leafs nonetheless have offensive firepower. William Nylander leads the workforce with 73 factors (26 targets, 47 assists), whereas John Tavares has 68 factors (30 targets, 38 assists) and has been productive down the stretch.
Toronto averages 3.09 targets per sport, however provides up too many possibilities, surrendering over 32 photographs per sport, which has finally price them a playoff spot.
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Meanwhile, the Islanders are nonetheless very a lot alive within the playoff race. New York enters the evening with 89 factors and sits simply outdoors a wild-card spot within the Eastern Conference. With just a few video games remaining, they probably want to win out and get assist from different groups to qualify.
Mathew Barzal leads the workforce with 70 factors this season, whereas Ilya Sorokin has been nice down the stretch with a .909 save proportion in web and a number of shutouts
The Islanders have been sturdy defensively total, permitting simply 2.87 targets per sport, a top-tier mark in contrast to Toronto’s struggles.
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