John Tavares doesn't foresee a more forgiving atmosphere for his second trip back to Long Island on Monday night.

"I'm sure it will be somewhat similar," Tavares told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "It is what it is. Just going to go out there and try to play well and help the Maple Leafs."

Tavares made his initial return as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 28, and Islanders fans didn't let him out of their crosshairs for a second. The New York faithful threw toy snakes on the ice during warmup, serenaded their former captain with "We don't need you" chants throughout the game, and booed relentlessly every time he touched the puck.

The Islanders went on to win the much-anticipated contest 6-1. Personal reasons aside, Tavares, who's scored a career-high 45 goals this season, knows his club can't repeat the performance.

"(The reception) was going to happen at some point and obviously, going back, it was going to happen again," Tavares said. "It's just part of it. Just try to go back and hopefully we can play better than we have."

Toronto's won just three of its last 10 games and carries a minus-11 goal differential in that span. However, a single point Monday would clinch a third consecutive playoff berth for the Maple Leafs.

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