After a tough 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Dec. 19, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked to bounce back against a struggling Buffalo Sabres team. The Sabres lost their previous game to the Columbus Blue Jackets by a 9-4 final score, so there was confidence amongst Maple Leafs fans heading into this matchup. However, the end result was disastrous for the Maple Leafs, as they fell to the Sabres by an embarrassing 9-3 final score. It was easily the Maple Leafs’ worst game of the season, so let’s go over three main takeaways from the contest now.
Samsonov Hits New Low
It is not a secret that Ilya Samsonov has had a brutal 2023-24 season, and this only continued against the Sabres in this one. The 2015 first-round pick had one of his worst performances of the season, as he allowed five goals on just 19 shots before being pulled during the second period. This is now the third time this season that he has been pulled during a start.
Following the game, Samsonov said this to reporters, “It’s tough, it’s tough right now. The last couple of games, it’s real tough. I need to figure out everything in my head. It’s not about technique. It’s not about nothing, just in the head.” Clearly, the 26-year-old netminder’s confidence is at an all-time low, and this performance against the Sabres will not help with that.
After this loss, Samsonov now sports a 5-2-5 record, a 3.79 goals-against average (GAA), and a .871 save percentage (SV%). It has been a season to forget for him, and he has been far from the reliable starter he was last season for Toronto.
Jones Not Better In Relief
After Samsonov got pulled, veteran goaltender Martin Jones took over the crease. Since being called up to the Maple Leafs before this, he played well, sporting a 3-1 record in his first four appearances. However, the 33-year-old struggled mightily in relief for Samsonov, allowing four goals on just 15 shots.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Maple Leafs’ 5-2 Loss to Rangers
When Jones entered the game, the Sabres had far more momentum, so he had a tough task in front of him. However, even with this being so, it is fair to say that Jones’ play was shaky in this one. However, the Maple Leafs’ defence in front of him did not make things any easier.
After this tough appearance, Jones now has a 3.28 GAA to go along with a .907 SV%. His numbers naturally have worsened a good amount because of it, but he will now look to bounce back in his next appearance for the Maple Leafs.
Matthews Extends Goal Streak
It is hard to find many positives about this game for the Maple Leafs, as their goaltending and overall play were not good. However, one bright spot from this matchup was Auston Matthews. The 2016 first-overall pick extended his goal streak to six games and now has 26 goals in 29 games played. With that, this was his 12th goal in eight games.
Matthews’ goal was a fun one, too. The superstar center did a spin along the boards and managed to fire it past Sabres goaltender Devon Levi.
While Matthews’ goal streak being extended is a positive moment from this game, it certainly does not lessen the sting of this embarrassing loss. This was the first time the Maple Leafs allowed nine goals in a game since Nov. 18, 2014, against the Nashville Predators. The Maple Leafs were rebuilding at that time and finished the season with a 30-44-8 record.
The Maple Leafs will now need to put this game behind them and bounce back with a far better performance against the Blue Jackets on Dec. 23.