In the final 2018-19 regular season game at Nassau Coliseum, the playoff-bound Islanders’ offense came up short and allowed the Toronto Maple Leafs to clinch a playoff spot of their own.
The 2-1 loss could be costly, wasting a chance to pull closer to the Metro-leading Capitals and to create more room ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for home ice advantage.
The Leafs mounted a considerably stronger resistance than the dead-men-walking Sabres from two nights ago, and indeed from the two previous occasions when the Maple Leafs pledged to perform well for, but then embarrassed, their major offseason acquisition against his former team.