The New York Islanders expect to have Anthony Duclair back in the lineup on Saturday night when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The forward was activated from injured reserve on Friday after being out with a lower-body injury since Oct. 19. He has two goals and an assist in five games.
The Islanders have dropped the first two contests of a three-game road trip, including 4-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
The Maple Leafs have won three straight after defeating the host Buffalo Sabres 6-3 on Friday night, highlighted by goaltender Matt Murray making his first NHL start since April 2, 2023.
The teams will play twice more within the next two weeks — at Toronto on Dec. 31 and at Elmont, N.Y., on Jan. 2.
The Islanders plan to play Duclair on a line with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri on Saturday.
“I’m going to keep it as a game-time decision, just in case, to protect everybody here, but I mean, at the same time, it looks like he’s going to play,” New York coach Patrick Roy said after practice on Friday.
Duclair, 29, signed with the Islanders during the offseason. Roy coached Duclair with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Roy likes Duclair’s versatility.
“First of all, he’s a good skater,” Roy said. “He’s got good vision, sees the ice well, and has got a good shot. That will open up the ice for (Nelson and Palmieri).”
“Duke’s one of those guys where you can insert him wherever, whenever,” Islanders forward Mathew Barzal said. “He’s a guy that plays the game the right way, so it’s easy to have chemistry with him right away. He’s going to be fine. We’re pumped to have him back.”
Barzal has played in two games after an upper-body injury had kept him out since Oct. 30. He has not had a point in the two games and has two goals and three assists in 12 games this season.
Murray was called up from the Toronto of the American Hockey League on Friday, and fellow goaltender Dennis Hildeby was returned to the Marlies.
Murray has come back from bilateral hip surgery to go 4-1-2 with a 1.85 goals-against average for the Marlies.
“I was able to take a moment there in warm-ups and during the anthem and kind of look around and appreciate the long journey that it’s been and think of all the people who helped me get here,” Murray said after making 24 saves against the Sabres.
“I thought our team played really hard in front of him,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said.
Toronto’s John Tavares earned two assists on Friday to reach 600 for his career.
Captain Auston Matthews scored a power-play goal for the Maple Leafs after missing the morning skate. He still is dealing with an upper-body injury.
“Well, it’s tough. I mean, he’s fighting through it and he’s doing, you know, he’s doing a pretty good job out there on the ice,” Berube said before the game. “Like he’s producing and playing hard and working and, you know, we just got to manage it. …You know, it’ll get better. We have just got to manage it, though. And that’s why he’s off the ice (for the morning skate).”
Matthews is on a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists).
Toronto’s Nicholas Robertson had a goal and an assist to stretch his points streak to three games (three goals, three assists).
–Field Level Media