Game #8
Buffalo Sabres (3-4-0) vs Toronto Maple Leafs (3-3-1)
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM ET | KeyBank Center, Buffalo NY
Streaming (nationally): ESPN+, Hulu
Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App
Know Your Opponent
Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 3-3-1 | 7 PTS
Last Game: 5-2 loss at home to the New Jersey Devils
Division Ranking: 4th, Atlantic
PP: 28th, 12.5% (4/32 opps) [Sabres: 8th, 25% (6/24 opps)]
PK: 15th, 79.0% (15/19 killed) [Sabres: 2nd, 96.2% (25/26 killed)]
1. Restoring Parity
A regulation win tonight could see the Sabres leapfrog the Leafs. Yes, it’s still early days, but Buffalo have caught a tailwind while the visitors are undergoing some turmoil of their own.
The whole Atlantic division appears to be in some turbulence – the Habs are on a roll now while the Red Wings have stuttered after a fast start. Tampa Bay are languishing at the bottom of the division with one win in seven games, only the Habs have a positive goal difference early on and the four leading teams in the division all lost their last game.
A sweep of the Leafs on this fine fall weekend (see what I did there?) would go a long way towards propelling the Sabres towards a favorable position in the division.
2. Three-Headed Goalie Monster
Waiver pickup Colten Ellis sparkled in his debut for the Sabres, and before that summer signing Alex Lyon had done enough to show that he was in contention for the starter role. Last year’s starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has recovered from his preseason injury and got sent down to Rochester for a conditioning stint in the Amerks 4-2 win on Wednesday night.
Surprisingly though, he then got recalled to Buffalo the next day when we all pretty much assumed he’d stay there for another game or two. What was the rush there? Anyway, from the Friday morning skate it looks like it’ll be Lyon in net tonight in Buffalo, and then will it be UPL or Ellis starting in Toronto on HNIC?
It does look like we’re going to be carrying all three goalies for the near future, with Ruff riding the hot hand on any given night until one or two separates themselves from the pack, either for better or for worse.
3. Special Teams Edge
The Sabres are going to have to make their improved power play and penalty kill units earn the victory tonight. Both sides are pretty similar in 5-v-5 hockey, and this cross-border rivalry tends to produce heated affairs with plenty of penalties, so taking advantage of special teams could be the difference in both games.
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
Defense
Bowen Byram – Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power – Conor Timmins
Mattias Samuelsson – Zach Metsa
Goalies: Alex Lyon (projected starter), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
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
Defense
Jake McCabe – Brandon Carlo
Dakota Mermis – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Simon Benoit – Philippe Myers
Goalies:
Anthony Stolarz (projected starter), Cayden Primeau
