Maple Leafs reward prospects but get rolled by DeBoer’s Islanders

The New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs are both outside the playoff cut line, and they both waited until four games remaining in the regular season to make a significant move.

The Isles waited until star goalie Ilya Sorokin alone could not buck the defensive metrics that sought to undo him. So, they made an abrupt coaching change, not only to jump the market and salvage this season but set the tone for a brighter-looking future.

“I’ve been sitting around a year waiting for this,” a giddy Peter DeBoer told reporters inside UBS Arena Thursday morning, ahead of a decisive bench debut on the Island. 

“You definitely have an appreciation for being back in the fight, in the battle with the team, with something on the line playing this late in the year. I mean, that’s the juice that gets us, as coaches, going.”

The juiced-up Islanders are like the Maple Leafs in that they have no designs on giving up until the math confirms it, and in that they are one of the league’s older teams. 

The average age of both rosters was 29.6.

That is until the Leafs — finally relenting on anything resembling fight or battle or hockey this week — recalled four prospects from the AHL Marlies for Game 79.

The team that used to sell the farm to go deep is now playing the farm to up its lottery odds.

Forward Luke Haymes, 22, and goaltender Artur Akhtyamov, 24, both made their first start Thursday in a 5-3 Islanders score that helps the direction of both organizations and flatters Toronto’s performance. 

(Two more reliable 24-year-old Marlies, Ryan Tverberg and William Villeneuve, made the trip but did not suit up.)

“A lot of guys deserve it down there,” said Marlies co-star Bo Groulx, tagging out after his own emergency recall to the show. “It means a lot to us down there. It shows that if you do the right things, you get a shot in the NHL at some point. So, it’s really rewarding for us.”

“I like to see these guys,” Leafs coach Craig Berube added. 

Is it rewarding to get run out of the building? 

Do you like seeing guys get outshot 24-3 in Period 1 and 44-16 after 60 lopsided minutes?

With Anthony Stolarz falling to injury Wednesday and no cause to push Joseph Woll on a meaningless back-to-back, Akhtyamov got the nod in net. He looked “dialled in,” as Groulx predicted in conversation pre-game.

Quick and competitive and good on him.

Too bad the skaters in front of him had no interest in protecting the scrappy Akhtyamov in his first-ever start.

“He does the little things off the ice to be ready,” Groulx said. “A mentally strong goalie. Like, if he gets scored on or (gives up) a bad goal, he’s not fazed by it. He actually takes on the challenge to even be better. And that’s his greatest strength.”

The undrafted Haymes has 17 goals and 32 points in 64 Marlies games this season, his first full one as a pro. The centreman is strong in the dot, and his high hockey IQ has helped him improve as the season has progressed. 

Haymes did register an assist on Morgan Rielly’s garbage-time goal (off Mathew Barzel’s stick) and got nearly 13 minutes of work in front of his family.

“Really good player. A lot of speed,” assed Jacob Quillan, another Marlie in the Leafs’ lineup these days. “He can shoot the puck.” 

Alas, the Maple Leafs — who didn’t hit double digits in shots in any period Thursday — do not.

Which helps the tank and the Islanders’ desperate bid for a wild card.

Only three games left. Will more Marlies get a taste?

“I do believe so,” Berube said. “We’ll look at getting one or two other guys in there, for sure.”

Fox’s Fast Five

• The timing of the Islanders’ coaching change was both surprising and smart.

Firing Patrick Roy in favour of DeBoer with only four games to go was a stunner, but if the coach you want is available, don’t lollygag.

It seems no coincidence, though, that DeBoer’s onboarding came at the beginning of a rare four-day break from game action in an otherwise cluttered schedule.

That gave DeBoer some time to get his bearings and run through practices with his new players.

• Groulx maxed out his 2025-26 Maple Leafs stint. One more day with the big club, and he’d require waivers. 

The upbeat centreman posted three goals, five points and a plus-4 rating during his 13 games with the big club — all career highs, despite appearing in parts of three seasons with the Ducks — and was noted as a source of optimism by Berube as the team runs out the string.

The Marlies’ leading goal man is pumped to be rejoining the farm for the AHL post-season.

“It’s going to be my first time playing playoffs in pro hockey. So, very excited for it,” Groulx said. “I’ve been part of a lot of teams, and the chemistry on this team (is its greatest asset). Everybody genuinely cares for each other. And on the ice, they have each other’s back. We’re really a deep team, offensively and on the back end. So, that’s gonna be a real strength for us out there.” 

• The Islanders entered Thursday’s action with a 19.5 per cent chance of qualifying for the playoffs, according to MoneyPuck.com. Those odds jumped to 36.5 per cent after thumping Toronto.

That still leaves the Isles behind Ottawa (92.1 per cent) and Philadelphia (45.7) but bumps them above Columbus (14.4).

DeBoer must treat these final three matches like three Game 7s.

“While we don’t mathematically control our own destiny,” he said, “we, for the most part, control our own destiny. If we win all our games, we’re in a really good spot.”

• With 185 blocked shots, Jake McCabe trails only Islander-turned-Canadien Noah Dobson (187) for the NHL lead.

“I’m not looking to go block 10 tonight to go get the lead, if that’s what you're asking,” McCabe deadpanned.

In typical warrior fashion, McCabe downplays his bruises per 60, but no doubt it’s a mark of pride.

“The guys in the locker room appreciate it more than anybody,” Steven Lorentz said. “I’m sure if (Chris Tanev) was here, him and Tanny would be right among the tops of the league. 

“I don’t know if that’s a stat these guys necessarily want, but they’re more than happy to keep lacing the boots up and getting in front of those lanes. So, it’s definitely an honourable job, and we love him for that.”

• The Leafs jet back for a two-game homestand before putting a bow on this thing in Ottawa next week. 

We understand outside desire for a tank. But watching most of the Scotiabank Arena audience filter out well before the buzzer during Wednesday’s listless 4-0 shutout by the Capitals was a depressing scene.

“We still have to play hard, show up for the fans and everything. We just got to be better for them,” Simon Benoit said.