New York Islanders vs. Toronto Maple Leafs season opener game thread
The Islanders open the 2026-27 season in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs have already lost once, in their opener last night to their rivals from Quebec. Scott Mayfield and Kyle MacLean appear to be the scratches (Matt Kessel too) based on the morning skate, as captured by Andrew Gross for Newsday and confirming the projection […]
The New York Islanders kicked off their 2026-27 season in Toronto, facing off against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opener. This marks the first time these two teams have opened a season in Canada, and it's a rare opener for the Islanders on September 30th.
The Islanders' lineup for the game included Scott Mayfield, Kyle MacLean, Matt Kessel, Holmstrom, Horvat, Palmieri, Maccelli, Ritchie, Schenn, Eklund, Pageau, Heineman, Palat, Cizikas, and Duclair. Notably, Mayfield and MacLean were scratched, as per Andrew Gross's report.
The Islanders' power play setup featured Schaefer, Maccelli, Horvat, Schenn, Palmieri, DeAngelo, Eklund, Ritchie, and Holmstrom. The starting netminder was Sorokin, with Varlamov being the backup.
Islanders head coach Mathieu Darche spoke about the team's mentality ahead of the season, stating that they will show the doubters they are more than just a bubble team at best. He also mentioned that the 38-year-old Varlamov's surgically repaired knees do not need to be monitored, to which he wanted to believe.
This opener featured first-overall picks Matthew Schaefer (2025) and Gavin McKenna (2026) facing off against each other for the first time. It's a significant matchup, especially considering the Islanders' rare opener in Canada.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
