Recap: Leafs Blow Past the Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres looked like a team that hasn’t played in five days to start the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the game last week, the Sabres got a lot of helpful bounces in their win over the Leafs. They wouldn’t get the same fortune tonight.

After a hat trick last night, James van Riemsdyk stayed hot scoring from the corner on a goal that Robin Lehner would like to have back. He was bumped by his own teammate Jacob Josefson prior to the shot, but you’d still like that not to go in.

Exactly three minutes later van Riemsdyk put his team ahead two. He found time and space to beat Lehner high glove with a wrist shot.

Nathan Beaulieu sparked his club by dropping the gloves with Matt Martin in a spirited bout between the two.

Sam Reinhart converted on a Sabres power play a few minutes later to stay hot and get the home team back within one.

The Leafs would take that 2-1 lead into the first intermission. They also outshot the Sabres 18-11 in the opening 20 minutes.

Toronto increased their lead on a point shot from Connor Carrick that got through traffic and past Lehner. Another one that you would probably like your goaltender to have.

The Leafs really started to pull away with some nice passing on the power play. Tyler Bozak ended up with a layup back door to make it 4-1.

Buffalo would get back within two at the end of the period. The Leafs took three penalties in a matter of four minutes. Jason Pominville deflected a Rasmus Ristolainen shot by Curtis McElhinney to make it 4-2 after 40 minutes. Thanks to the power plays at the end of the period the Sabres outshot the Leafs 19-8 in the middle frame.

The Sabres didn’t put up much of a fight in the third period. They got some chances late with the goaltender pulled, but any open look was wasted with shots way over the net.

Patrick Marleau would add an empty net for kicks in the final minute as the Leafs get revenge for the loss last week in Buffalo.

Final Score: Leafs 5, Sabres 2

Shots on Goal: Leafs 39 | Sabres 40

Leafs Goal Scorers: van Riemsdyk (30, 31) Carrick (4), Bozak (11) and Marleau (23)

Sabres Goal Scorers: Reinhart (18) and Pominville (12)

Three Stars of the Game

1. James van Riemsdyk (2 G, 1 A)

2. William Nylander (1 A)

3. Patrick Marleau (1 G, 1 A)

Comment of the Game

Good God..

this team has so much work ahead of it during the summer…

when is the date for the draft selection order thingy?

by Buffalo_Warrior on Mar 15, 2018 | 9:09 PM reply rec flag actions