The Sabres snapped their five-game losing streak to the Maple Leafs, as they achieved a .500 record for the time being, winning four out of their last five games. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, experience continued struggles after dropping their last three games.
Game Recap
The game started slowly, with both teams having a feel of the neutral zone in the opening minutes. Buffalo’s excellent play on the boards was already on display after Alex Tuch maneuvered on the wall, as he fed Ryan McLeod with the puck, who swung it to the positioned Samuelsson in the middle of the slot, flicking the puck for his first goal of the night and putting the Sabres on the scoreboard first.
Twenty-three seconds had passed when the Maple Leafs flipped a pass over to the striding right winger William Nylander, who found himself in a breakaway opportunity, and fired a goal that slipped past goalie Alex Lyon’s guard to tie the game at 1-1.
Another strong point for Buffalo’s play tonight was generating chances from the defensive zone. Zach Metsa tapped the puck over to alternate captain Tage Thompson, who slipped it to Zach Benson, cross-icing it to Jiri Kulich, who fired a snap shot goal to snatch the lead, 2-1.
The Maple Leafs earned their first power-play opportunity after the referees called Rasmus Dahlin for tripping on Nylander. The Sabres, who have shown prowess in penalty kills, managed to thwart Toronto in their first man-advantage chance, even almost nabbing a shorthanded goal from Peyton Krebs’ shot that hit Anthony Stolarz in the mask.
The Maple Leafs, who have struggled this season on the power play, found reinvigoration after John Tavares slid the puck to Auston Matthews, rifling an equalizer, 2-2. Then, the Sabres got their chance on the man advantage twice, leaving the Maple Leafs on a 3-on-5 disadvantage. The shorthanded Maple Leafs managed to stifle the Sabres’ chances, blocking shot after shot, and utilizing stick checking to derail possessions.
The Maple Leafs continued their reign of blocking Sabres’ shots, opening them up for opportunities like Matthew Knies, who skated on a breakaway only to be denied by Lyon. They were also more imposing on the boards throughout the game, with 30 hits to Buffalo’s eight, yet the Sabres were able to fend off their best blows, countering with their own. Thompson gave the puck to Byram, who returned it to the moving Thompson, on the way to burying a goal to regain the advantage. Then, Dahlin backhanded a pass to Samuelsson, who sniped a goal from the middle of the faceoff circle to sway the tides further in the Sabres’ side.
The Maple Leafs responded after Easton Cowan snagged possession from a block, who snuck in a shot, but was stopped. Dakota Joshua seized the rebound and tipped in a goal from point-blank range to give his team the lead. The Sabres’ mental fortitude was put to the test as they held on to a one-goal lead with ample time for a Maple Leafs comeback. Buffalo was searching for their dagger after firing shots on all cylinders. Then, in a crucial turn of events, the referees deemed a penalty for the Sabres as the Maple Leafs obtained another chance with the man advantage.
Lyon made the most significant save of the night after rejecting Matias Maccelli’s game-tying attempt en route to an Owen Power assist to a well-rested Tuch, who savvily netted a shorthanded goal to put the game away for the Sabres as they rolled to a 5-3 victory.
What’s Next?
The Sabres and Maple Leafs will run it back tomorrow, this time in Toronto. There, the two teams will conclude their short two-game series, as the Sabres will go back home against the Columbus Blue Jackets and travel east for a rematch against the Boston Bruins. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs will continue their homestand and also fly south against the Blue Jackets.
