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 net in tonight’s game. Despite giving up three or more goals in each of his last four starts, he’s put up a 3-1-0 record. Since his last game against the Sabres, he’s been on an upward trajectory.
Item Two: David Kampf Might Not Play Tonight
David Kampf was absent from practice on Tuesday due to illness. There’s no word if he’ll be ready to play tonight. Kampf was on an Iron Man streak before head coach Sheldon Keefe made him a healthy scratch in late December. Now he’s missed a few games during the new year.
Kampf is known for his strong defense and has only scored five goals and six assists in 57 games this season. If he can’t play, who will slot into his place on the team’s fourth line?
Item Three: Conor Timmins Is Feeling Better
It looks like Conor Timmins has finally recovered from his illness. He has “turned the corner” and is ready to return to action whenever he’s called upon. However, he will need to be activated off injured reserve before he can resume playing.
It would seem that Timmins will now find himself further down the Maple Leafs depth chart since Ilya Lyubushkin was brought to the team. It’s been an odd season for the offensively gifted defenseman.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
Now that Lyubushkin has been brought in to partner with Morgan Rielly, I’d be happy if the team didn’t make another move before Friday’s deadline. I don’t think it will be a factor in the team’s success or failure this season.
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Three key factors will determine postseason success for the Maple Leafs. First, their offense must step up and score consistently. While they have the talent to do so, they’ve struggled in past postseasons. For any run to happen, that needs to change this postseason.
Second, the team needs solid goaltending. Their goalies are who they are. They have the collective talent to move the team forward – if they play to their capabilities. If either Woll or Samsonov (or both perhaps) can effectively prevent the opposing team from scoring, the Maple Leafs will win. Can they do that?
Finally, the team needs to play strong defense. This season, they’ve demonstrated they can do so. They have shown they rise to the occasion. Now they just have to will it so and maintain consistency throughout the playoffs.
These three factors are paramount for the Maple Leafs’ postseason success. No trade addition will change that scenario. It comes down to whether the team can go “all in” on themselves rather than relying on their general manager, Brad Treliving, to go “all in” for them.
The team has the pieces. Can they execute effectively when it matters most?
