Game 65
Buffalo Sabres (30-26-8) vs Toronto Maple Leafs (39-21-4)
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM EST | Scotiabank Arena | Toronto, ON
TV: MSG
Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Leafs blog: Pension Plan Puppets
Know Your Opponent
Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: (39-21-4) | 82 PTS
Last 10: 5-4-1
Division Ranking: 3rd in Atlantic Division
Conference Ranking: 3rd in Eastern Conference
PP: 7th (22.6%)
PK: 16th (80.1%)
What to Watch
1. Offensive Prowess
Several Sabres players have done quite well against the Leafs in their young careers. Jack Eichel has 15 points (10-5) in 11 games against Toronto. Sam Reinhart has 15 points (6-9) in his last 14 games against the Leafs. Overall, Eichel is on a seven-game point streak and recently set a new career-high with 70 points to date.
Elsewhere, Jason Pominville and Jeff Skinner each have five-game point streaks against Toronto heading into tonight’s game.
2. Back-to-Back
We all know that the Sabres have had a lot of trouble stringing together wins. It’s been months since they were able to win a pair of games in a row. Can they break that tonight after last night’s overtime win against the Penguins?
3. Tavares Watch
Expect the crowd at Scotiabank Arena to get loud tonight for John Tavares, as part of a grassroots effort to show Leafs’ fans appreciation of the forward after his less-than-welcoming “welcome back” to Long Island earlier this week.
Buffalo Sabres (Projected)
Forwards
Jeff Skinner – Jack Eichel – Sam Reinhart
Conor Sheary – Evan Rodrigues – Kyle Okposo
Scott Wilson – Casey Mittelstadt – Tage Thompson
Zemgus Girgensons – Johan Larsson – Jason Pominville
Defense
Jake McCabe – Rasmus Ristolainen
Matt Hunwick/Marco Scandella – Brandon Montour
Starting Goaltender: Carter Hutton (unconfirmed)
Toronto Maple Leafs (Projected)
Forwards
Zach Hyman – John Tavares – Mitch Marner
Andreas Johansson – Auston Matthews – Kasper Kapanen
Patrick Marleau – William Nylander – Connor Brown
Nic Petan – Frederik Gauthier – Trevor Moore
Defense
Morgan Rielly – Ron Hainsey
Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev
Martin Marincin – Justin Holl
Starting Goaltender: Frederik Andersen