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The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without star forward John Tavares when they face the New York Islanders, as the team announced on the morning of October 17 that Tavares is considered week-to-week due to a lower-body injury.
Tavares, a pivotal piece of Toronto's offense, left the team's 5-4 overtime defeat to the Buffalo Sabres on October 15 at the 2:32 mark of the third period following a collision with Buffalo forward Josh Norris. Although he required assistance from a trainer, Tavares managed to skate off the ice to the locker room under his own power.
The absence of Tavares against the Islanders is particularly notable given his productive start to the season. The longtime Maple Leafs member had already amassed seven points, comprising two goals and five assists, with two of those assists coming in Thursday's contest.
According to NHL.com, Toronto head coach Jim Hiller acknowledged that losing Tavares is a significant blow to the lineup. The report also indicated that Bo Groulx, who was a healthy scratch on Thursday, is expected to draw into the lineup in Tavares' place.
Key Analysis
The Islanders' visit to Scotiabank Arena marks their second trip to Toronto this season. The Maple Leafs enter the matchup having dropped consecutive games, including the overtime loss to the Sabres. However, Toronto's Auston Matthews carries a six-game point streak into the contest, having recorded 13 points over that stretch.
New York, meanwhile, brings defensive momentum north of the border, having allowed three goals or fewer in five of their first seven games. Head coach Peter DeBoer has recently made significant adjustments to his lines, which are projected as follows: Matias Maccelli – Bo Horvat – Simon Holmström; Brayden Schenn – Cal Ritchie – Victor Eklund; Emil Heineman – JG Pageau – Anthony Duclair; Ondřej Palát – Casey Cizikas – Kyle Palmieri. On defense: Logan Stanley – Matthew Schaefer; Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock; Matt Kessel – Tony DeAngelo. Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov are the goaltenders, with Kyle MacLean and Scott Mayfield as extras.
Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to start in goal for Toronto, which leads the NHL in penalty killing at 96.2 percent. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central. The Islanders will then return home to UBS Arena after a few days off to host the Anaheim Ducks on October 20.