Buffalo wraps up home-and-home series up north
Buffalo Sabres (4-4-0) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (3-4-1)
Puck Drop: 5:00 PM EST | Scotiabank Arena | Toronto, ON
TV: MSG-B
Know Your Opponent
Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 3-4-1 | 7 PTS
Last Game: 5-3 Loss vs. Sabres
Division Ranking: 5th in Atlantic Division
PP: 26th (15%)
PK: 13th (81%)
What to Watch
1. Time Change & Vibe Check
The original time of tonight’s game has been moved from 7:00 PM to 5:00 PM EST. The Toronto Blue Jays will host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second matchup in the best-of-seven World Series. The NHL made the announcement on Wednesday. And, while Die By the Blade is clearly not baseball coverage, it is worth noting that the vibe in Toronto will be absolutely wild with both teams playing on the same night…back-to-back.
2. Hot Hot Hot
The Sabres seem to have found their groove, especially since defeating the Senators 8-4 back on the 15th. Since then, they have scored 21 total goals and their first line has really turned up the heat. The trio of Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, and Tage Thompson has proven to be a solid one as they all tallied at least a point or goal (or both) in last night’s game. Another hot player is fan favorite – and excellent two-way forward – Alex Tuch, who not only earned two points in the first home-and-home game, but a short-handed goal, too. Since joining the Sabres, Tuch has tallied 17 points in 14 total matchups against Toronto.
Since returning from a brief injury, Mattias Samuelsson has also made a notable offensive impact. Last night was the first time the Swedish-American defenseman recorded multiple goals in a single game. He now has five points in his last five games against Toronto.
3. Goaltender Woes No More?
The last few years (or more than a decade if we are truth-telling) have been incredibly frustrating for multitudinous reasons, but goaltending has arguably been the most consistent issue throughout the Sabres’ playoff drought. The team now has what can easily be seen as a good problem – four solid goaltenders in the three that are in Buffalo – Colten Ellis, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Alex Lyon, respectively – as well as Devon Levi over in Rochester. More specifically, the two additions in Ellis and Lyon have proven to be one of the few positive decisions made by general manager Kevyn Adams this past offseason (so far). Though the newbies have shined, UPL may make his season debut tonight. Stay tuned!
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Zach Benson – Jiri Kulich – Tage Thompson
Josh Doan – Ryan McLeod – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Noah Ostlund – Jack Quinn
Peyton Krebs – Tyson Kozak* – Beck Malenstyn
*Kozak left Friday night’s game with a lower-body injury and is out for today’s game.
Defense
Bowen Byram – Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power – Conor Timmins
Mattias Samuelsson – Zach Metsa
Goaltenders: Alex Lyon, Colten Ellis, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (likely starter)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Forwards
Bobby McMann – Auston Matthews – William Nylander*
Matthew Knies – John Tavares – Matias Maccelli
Dakota Joshua – Nicolas Roy – Easton Cowan
Steven Lorentz – Max Domi – Calle Jarnkrok
*Nylander is also battling a minor injury and is questionable for tonight.
Defense**
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe – Simon Benoit
Dakota Mermis – Philippe Myers
**Top defenseman Morgan Rielly missed Friday’s game in Buffalo, but may be in the lineup tonight.
Goaltenders: Anthony Stolarz, Cayden Primeau (confirmed starter)