Tonight’s game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs brings the surprising Sabres into Scotiabank Arena to meet a team they regularly beat. The Sabres will try for their third straight win over the Maple Leafs this season. In their last game, they dominated Toronto by a score of 9-3 on their home ice on December 21. On November 4, they won in Toronto by a score of 6-4. That’s 15 goals against the Maple Leafs in two games.
The Sabres are coming into Wednesday’s game after suffering a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. Their head coach Don Granato admitted that his team just ran out of steam. But they have been playing well and are looking for that second-half run that almost got them into the playoffs last season. They’ve won five of their past seven games. Fans don’t have to look that far back to see that they beat the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 7-2 on Saturday – the same team that ended the Maple Leafs’ seven-game winning streak 6-2 just three days prior.
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On the other hand, for all the angst surrounding the Maple Leafs, their 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Monday night was only their second loss in 11 games. The Edmonton Oilers did the Maple Leafs a favor by depriving the Bruins of the second point when they scored late in the game and then won in overtime on Tuesday night. Can Toronto steal back that point against the Sabres?
Item One: Three Things Toronto Fans Should Look for in Tonight’s Game
Fans should look for three things in tonight’s game. First, can the Sabres continue their success against the Maple Leafs? As noted, the Sabres have already beaten their geographically close rivals twice this season and will be looking for a third win.
Second, how will the Maple Leafs respond after their recent letdown? They simply could not convert their scoring chances against the Bruins and will be looking for a bounce-back game. The Maple Leafs have regrouped and responded to adversity this season. Can they beat the Sabres, or will they play like they’re looking forward to their rematch with the Bruins tomorrow night in Boston?
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Third, both teams depend on good goaltending to win games. Since the teams last met, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has emerged as a force for the Sabres. He’s both been starting lots and winning lots. For Toronto, Ilya Samsonov will be protecting the…
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