Tag: Buffalo Sabres

MAPLE LEAFS-SABRES PREGAME NOTES




2021-22 Matchups vs. Buffalo: Third of Four
2021-22 Record vs. Buffalo: 1-1-0
Toronto Season Record: 37-16-5
Toronto Road Record: 17-9-3
TV: Sportsnet RADIO: Sportsnet 590


RECENT TRANSACTIONS
March 10, 2022
Goaltender Erik Källgren has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies
(AHL) on an emergency basis.
March 8, 2022
Defenceman Mac Hollowell has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies
(AHL).
March 4, 2022
Defenceman Mac Hollowell has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies
(AHL).
February 25, 2022
Forward Nick Robertson has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies
(AHL).

LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 4 vs. Arizona 5 – OTL
Date: Thursday, March 10, 2022
TOR Goals: Engvall, Kerfoot, Matthews, Nylander
ARI Goals: Galchenyuk, Chychrun, Boyd, Fischer, Chychrun (OTW)
TOR Goaltender: Mrazek, 8/12, .667 SV%, Kallgren, 10/11, .909 SV%
ARI Goaltender: Wedgewood, 34/38, .895 SV%
TOR Power Play: N/A
TOR Penalty Kill: 1-for-1
Team Notes:

  • Alexander Kerfoot recorded three points (1G, 2A) in Thursday’s
    overtime loss tying a single-game career-high which he has marked on
    seven occasions during his NHL career. Kerfoot registered his third threepoint game of the season.
  • Timothy Liljegren posted a single-game career-high five shots on
    Thursday. With his assist on Engvall’s second period goal, Liljegren has
    registered an assist in four-consecutive games (4A) marking the longest
    point streak of his NHL career.
  • TJ Brodie recorded a single-game career-high seven shots during the
    game. He surpassed his previous career-high of six shots marked on Dec.
    30, 2011 at OTT.
  • John Tavares recorded a single-game career-high seven hits in
    Thursday’s overtime loss.
    NEXT GAME


    Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2022
    Opponent: vs. Dallas Stars
    Time: 7:00 pm ET
    Broadcast Information: TSN (TV), TSN 1050 (Radio)
  • INJURY REPORT
    Jack Campbell Rib Injury
    Jake Muzzin Concussion
  • ALL-TIME VS. BUFFALO SABRES:
    First Matchup between Clubs: November 18, 1970 (Toronto 2 vs. Buffalo 7)
    All-Time Record: 84-107-18-11 (220 Games)
    All-Time Record at Home: 51-41-12-5 (109 Games)
    All-Time Record on the Road: 33-66-6-6 (111 Games)
    Last Road Win vs. Opponent: November 13, 2021 (Toronto 5 at Buffalo 4)
    Record in Last Five Games: 3-2-0
    Record in Last 10 Games: 7-3-0
  • ACTIVE LEADERS VS. BUFFALO SABRES:
    Games Played: Jason Spezza (68), John Tavares (36), Wayne Simmonds (31)
    Goals: Jason Spezza (23), John Tavares (22), Auston Matthews (11)
    Assists: Jason Spezza (50), John Tavares (20), Morgan Rielly (14)
    Points: Jason Spezza (73), John Tavares (42), Auston Matthews (18)
    Penalty Minutes: Jason Spezza (46), Wayne Simmonds (27), John Tavares (18)
  • 2022 TIM HORTONS NHL HERITAGE CLASSIC NOTES PER NHL STATS PACK:
  • The 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will be the fourth outdoor game for the Maple Leafs and third for the Sabres.
  • The Maple Leafs (2-1-0) are in search of their third win outdoors, which would tie the Capitals (3-0-0) and Bruins (3-1-0) for the second-most in
    the outdoor game standings, behind the Rangers (4-0-0).
  • A total of 13 Toronto players have appeared in at least one NHL outdoor game: Morgan Rielly (0-1—1 in 3 GP), Wayne Simmonds (3 GP), Kyle
    Clifford (1-0—1 in 2 GP), Mitchell Marner (1-0—1 in 2 GP), Jake Muzzin (0-1—1 in 2 GP), William Nylander (0-1—1 in 2 GP), Auston
    Matthews (2-0—2 in 1 GP), Travis Dermott (0-1—1 in 1 GP), David Kampf (0-1—1 in 1 GP), Petr Mrazek (1-0-0 in 1 GP), Jason Spezza (0-1—1 in
    1 GP), TJ Brodie (1 GP) and John Tavares (1 GP).
  • Morgan Rielly is the only skater on the Maple Leafs current roster to have appeared in each of the franchise’s three outdoor games to date. He
    logged 13:06 as a rookie in the 2014 Winter Classic, tallied a third-period assist in the 2017 Centennial Classic and collected a game-high six shots on
    goal in the 2018 Stadium Series.
  • 2021-22 AVERAGES AND RANKINGS
    Points % GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO%
    Toronto .681 3.71 3.02 29.9% 83.9% 34.6 30.6 56.0%
    Buffalo .390 2.63 3.54 19.9% 76.3% 29.6 34.1 46.0%
    THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2021-22

    Power Play: 46/154 (29.9%)
    Power Play Goal Leader: 13 – Matthews
    Power Play Point Leader: 23 – Matthews (13G, 10A)
    2020-21 Power Play: 31/155 (20.0%)
  • ON THE PK IN 2021-22
    Penalty Kill: 135/161 (83.9%)
    Shorthanded Goal Leader: 2 – Kämpf, Marner, Mikheyev
    Shorthanded Point Leader: 4 – Kämpf (2G, 2A)
    2020-21 Penalty Kill: 113/144 (78.5%)
  • FAST FACTS
    Sunday games 4th of 7 (2 home, 5 road)
    Back-to-Backs played 9 of 13
    Record in first game of back-to-back 5-3-1
    Record in second game of back-to-back 4-4-1
    March games 6th of 14 (9 home, 5 road)
  • UPCOMING MILESTONES
    TJ Brodie One point away from 300 career NHL points
    Mitch Marner Six assists away from his 300th career NHL assist
  • 2021-22 MILESTONES
    Alexander Kerfoot Recorded his 100th career NHL assist, Jan. 1, 2022 vs. OTT
    Timothy Liljegren Scored his first career NHL goal, Jan. 15, 2022 at STL
    Auston Matthews Recorded his 400th career NHL point, Jan. 31, 2022 vs. NJD
    Auston Matthews Recorded his 200th career NHL goal, Oct. 25, 2021 at CAR
    Mitch Marner Skated in his 400th career NHL game, March 4, 2022 vs. BUF
    Mitch Marner Recorded his 400th career NHL point, Feb. 14, 2022 at SEA
    Ilya Mikheyev Skated in his 100th career NHL game, Jan. 15, 2022 at STL
    William Nylander Skated in his 400th career NHL game, Feb. 1, 2022 at NJD
    William Nylander Recorded his 300th career NHL point, Jan. 19, 2022 at NYR
    Morgan Rielly Skated in his 600th career NHL game, Dec. 9, 2021 vs. TBL
    Wayne Simmonds Skated in his 1,000th career NHL game, March 5, 2022 vs. VAN
    Jason Spezza Skated in his 1,200th career NHL game, Nov. 28, 2021 at ANA
    John Tavares Skated in his 900th career NHL game, Jan. 1, 2022 vs. OTT

    2021-22 TEAM LEADERS
    CATEGORY LEADER CATEGORY LEADER
    GOALS 44 – Matthews HITS 98 – Simmonds
    ASSISTS 40 – Rielly BLOCKED SHOTS 82 – Brodie
    POINTS 76 – Matthews (44G, 32A) TAKEAWAYS 61 – Matthews
    POWER PLAY POINTS 23 – Matthews (13G, 10A) TOI PER GAME 24:01 – Rielly
    SHORTHANDED POINTS 4 – Kämpf (2G, 2A) PP TOI PER GAME 2:51 – Marner, Matthews
    PIMs 51 – Simmonds SH TOI PER GAME 2:41 – Muzzin
    SHOTS 248 – Matthews WINS 24 – Campbell
    FACEOFF% 61.2% – Tavares GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE 1.98 – Källgren
    SHOT ATTEMPTS% 59.60% – Matthews SAVE PERCENTAGE .914 – Campbell
  • BUFFALO SABRES

LAST GAME
Thursday, March 10
Vegas 1 at Buffalo 3
Goals: Krebs, Olofsson, Tuch
Goalie: Anderson (30 saves/31 shots)
PP: 1/4; PK: 4/4; Shots: Vegas 31 – Buffalo 24
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 404)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Drake Caggiula (upper body, Nov. 26; IR) – 40 games
Malcolm Subban (upper body, Jan. 13; IR) – 24 games
Colin Miller (upper body, Jan. 17; IR) – 22 games
Zemgus Girgensons (undisclosed, Jan. 29; IR) – 17 games
Will Butcher (lower body, Jan. 30; IR) – 16 games
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
3/6: Activated F Vinnie Hinostroza off IR
UPCOMING GAMES
Thursday, March 17: Buffalo at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Friday, March 18: Buffalo at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Sunday, March 20: Buffalo at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, March 23: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 25: Washington at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
TODAY’S GAME
MAPLE LEAFS at SABRES
This is the third of four meetings between the Sabres and Maple Leafs this season.
Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Toronto 5-1 in Toronto on March 2.
Next meeting: Tuesday, April 12 in Toronto.
The Sabres are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games against the Maple Leafs; 4-5-1 at home.
This is the 221st game all-time between Buffalo and Toronto; Buffalo has a 118-74-28 series record.
The Sabres are 72-30-9 at home against the Maple Leafs all-time.
THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY
The Sabres are 7-8-4 all-time on March 13.
March 13, 1977: Don Edwards turns aside 32 of 33 Toronto shots and the Sabres get goals from five different scorers as they defeat the Maple Leafs,
6-1, in Buffalo.
March 13, 1991: The Sabres top the Jets, 6-2, on the strength of a Dale Hawerchuk hat trick and a 37-save performance by Clint Malarchuk.
March 13, 2001: The Sabres acquire Donald Audette from Atlanta for Kamil Piros and a fourth-round pick in 2001 NHL Draft and acquire Steve Heinze
from Columbus for a third-round draft pick in 2001 NHL Draft.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson earned his 300th career NHL win career on Thursday, stopping 30 of 31 shots faced.
Anderson became the 39th goaltender in NHL history to win 300 career games and the sixth American-born goaltender to reach the 300-win plateau.
Anderson is now one of five active NHL goaltenders to win 300 games in their career.
Kyle Okposo has seven points (4+3) in his last eight games.
Buffalo Sabres: Media Notes
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25 of Buffalo’s last 27 games have been decided in regulation, including each of the last 13 contests.
Since Jan. 1, the Sabres have gone 11-for-39 on the power play (28.1 percent) and have scored at least one goal with the man advantage in eight of
those 13 contests.
GOING TO PLAY OUTSIDE
Today’s game marks Buffalo’s third appearance in an outdoor game as a franchise (2008 Winter Classic vs. Pittsburgh at Ralph Wilson Stadium; 2018
Winter Classic vs. NY Rangers at Citi Field).
The Sabres will become 12th team in NHL history to play in at least three regular-season outdoor games and the fourth to have three appearances as
the designated home team.
Buffalo is the first U.S.-based team to appear in a Heritage Classic.
Buffalo has earned a point in each of its previous two outdoor games.
Craig Anderson has won both of his previous two outdoor games: the 2014 Heritage Classic at BC Place (29 saves w/ OTT) and NHL100 Classic at
Lansdowne Park (28 saves w/ OTT).
Only Henrik Lundqvist (4-0-0) has more career outdoor wins among NHL netminders.
Kyle Okposo has appeared in two outdoor games in his career, including the 2018 Winter Classic at Citi Field vs. the NY Rangers, where he recorded
two assists.
Seven Sabres have previously appeared in an NHL outdoor game: Craig Anderson (2-0-0 in 2 GP), Kyle Okposo (0+2 in 2 GP), Robert Hagg (2
GP), Vinnie Hinostroza (2 GP), Alex Tuch (1+0 in 1 GP), Anders Bjork (1 GP) and Zemgus Girgensons (1 GP).
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
The Sabres are playing a regular-season home game away from the team’s home arena for the ninth time in franchise history today. Buffalo is 1-4-3 in
the eight previous games, with the lone win coming against the Anaheim Ducks in Helsinki, Finland as part of the 2011 NHL Premiere.
TAKING IT TO TORONTO
Rasmus Dahlin has eight points (2+6) in eight career games against the Maple Leafs and currently holds a five-game point streak against Toronto,
registering six points (2+3) in the five contests.
Dahlin has registered a plus-2 rating in each of his last three games against Toronto.
Kyle Okposo has six points (3+3) in his last five games against Toronto, including at least a point in each of the last four meetings.
Okposo has tallied three points (1+2) and holds a plus-3 rating in two games against Toronto this season.
Jeff Skinner has five points (3+2) in two games against Toronto this season, recording multi-point performances in both contests.
Victor Olofsson has five points (3+2) in five career games against the Maple Leafs, including at least a point in each of the last three games.
Mark Pysyk has seven points (4+3) and holds a plus-9 rating in his last six games against Toronto.

Pysyk recorded a hat trick on Feb. 3, 2020 at Toronto as a member of the Florida Panthers.
Tage Thompson has three points (2+1) in two games against Toronto this season.
In 34 career games (33 starts) against Toronto, Craig Anderson holds a record of 18-9-4, along with a .918 save percentage and 2.85 goals against
average.
Sabres Regular-Season Home Games Away From Home Arena
Season Date Opponent Result City
1992-93 March 3, 1993 Vancouver 5-2 loss Hamilton, Ontario
1993-94 Nov. 3, 1993 Pittsburgh 6-2 loss Sacramento, California
2003-04 Nov. 12, 2003 New Jersey 2-2 tie Rochester, New York
2005-06 Oct. 26, 2005 Washington 3-2 loss Rochester, New York
2007-08 Jan. 1, 2008 Pittsburgh 2-1 loss (SO) Orchard Park, New York
2011-12 Oct. 7, 2011 Anaheim 4-1 win Helsinki, Finland
2017-18 Jan. 1, 2018 NY Rangers 3-2 loss (OT) Queens, New York
2019-20 Nov. 8, 2019 Tampa Bay 3-2 loss Stockholm, Sweden


Pysyk recorded a hat trick on Feb. 3, 2020 at Toronto as a member of the Florida Panthers.

WHAT’S THE SKINNY?
Jeff Skinner has recorded 23 goals this season, marking the eighth 20-goal season of his 12-year NHL career.
Since Jan. 13, Skinner has recorded 22 points (12+10) in 24 games played, including 13 points (7+6) in his last 14 games.
Entering play Saturday, Skinner was tied for 14th in the NHL with 20 even-strength goals this season.
Since he entered the league in 2010-11, Skinner ranked 14th among all NHL skaters with 288 goals and was sixth in the league during that span with
231 even-strength tallies going into Saturday’s games.
Among all players to have played at least 10 career games for the Sabres, Skinner ranks eighth with .287 even-strength goals per game (72 EVG in
251 GP).
SETTING THE PACE
A number of Sabres players are on pace for or have already established new career highs in goals, assists and points this season.
With two goals on Nov. 26 in Buffalo’s 20th game of the season, Tage Thompson set a new single-season career high in goals (10) and points (15).
His previous career highs of eight goals and 14 points came in 38 games during the 2020-21 season.
Dylan Cozens has already eclipsed his 2020-21 totals in goals (4), assists (9) and points (13).
Cozens established new career highs in goals (5 goals in 21 GP), assists (10 assists in 38 GP) and points (14 points in 23 GP) in fewer games than
the 41 contests he played in as a rookie.
Kyle Okposo is on pace for 22 goals and 49 points this season, which would be Okposo’s highest totals since he registered 22 goals and 64 points in
his last season as a member of the New York Islanders in 2015-16.
Rasmus Dahlin is on pace for 11 goals, 41 assists and 52 points, all of which would surpass his previous career-high marks.
Despite missing 22 games this season, Henri Jokiharju is on pace for five goals, 16 assists and 21 points, all of which would be new career highs.
HEY NOW, YOU’RE A DAHL-STAR
Rasmus Dahlin currently leads the Sabres in assists (29) and is third on the team in points (37).
Dahlin’s 15 power-play points are also good for the team lead.
Since Nov. 21, 2021, Dahlin was tied for 11th among NHL defensemen in scoring entering play Saturday, tallying 29 points (6+23) during that span.
In less than four full seasons, Dahlin is already climbing up Buffalo’s record books. Among all Sabres defensemen in franchise history, Dahlin ranks…
17th in goals (26), one away from matching Richie Dunn for 16th all-time
14th in assists (118)
16th in points (144), one away from tying Dmitri Kalinin for 15th all-time
14th in power-play goals (10), two shy of moving into a five-way tie for 10th all-time
Eighth in power-play points (65)
Among Sabres defensemen to play at least 82 games for the franchise, Dahlin ranks fifth in both assists per game (0.46) and points per game (0.57)
and 11th in goals per game (0.10).
Including this season, Dahlin owns two of the three most productive seasons by a Sabres defenseman in the last 25 years (dating back to 1996-97).
Brian Campbell, .683 P/GP (2008-09)
Rasmus Dahlin, .678 P/GP (2019-20)
Rasmus Dahlin, .650 P/GP (2021-22)
SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Hayden (94), Hagg (87), Dahlin (77)
Blocked Shots: Hagg (88), Pysyk (81), Dahlin (66)
Shots: Thompson (183), Skinner (182), Okposo (129)
SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK]
1-10: 5-4-1 (11), 29/27, 7/27, 25/28
11-20: 3-6-1: (7), 28/40, 4/26, 17/26
21-30: 2-5-3: (7), 24/36, 3/23, 18/21
31-40: 2-6-2 (6), 23/35, 6/30, 20/31
41-50: 4-5-1 (9), 30/36, 7/31, 24/30
51-60: 3-6-0 (6), 22/35, 5/24, 15/20
OVERTIME RESULTS (1-7; 127-145 all-time)
Oct. 23 at NJD: L, 2-1 (GWG-Zacha)
Oct. 28 at ANA: W, 4-3 (GWG-Asplund)
Nov. 6 vs. DET: L, 4-3 (GWG-Seider)
Nov. 27 at DET: L, 3-2 (GWG-Raymond)
Dec. 17 at PIT: L, 3-2 (GWG-Carter)
Jan. 1 at BOS: L, 4-3 (GWG-Coyle)
Jan. 17 vs. DET, L, 3-2 (GWG-Larkin)
Feb. 10 vs. CBJ, L, 4-3 (GWG-Voracek)
SHOOTOUT RESULTS (2-1; 83-75 all-time)
Oct. 16 vs. ARI: W, 2-1 (GDG-Ruotsalainen)
Dec. 11 vs. WSH: L, 3-2 (GDG-Oshie)
Dec. 16 at MIN: W, 3-2 (GDG-Thompson)
RECENT MILESTONES
Craig Anderson won his 300th career NHL game on March 10 vs. Vegas
Tage Thompson played in his 200th career NHL game on March 10 vs. Vega

SABRES-MAPLE LEAFS PREGAME NOTES


RECENT TRANSACTIONS


2021-22 Matchups vs. Buffalo: Second of Four
2021-22 Record vs. Buffalo: 1-0-0
Toronto Season Record: 35-14-4
Toronto Home Record: 19-5-1

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
TV: Sportsnet RADIO: Sportsnet 590
February 25, 2022
The Maple Leafs have recalled forward Nick Robertson from the Toronto
Marlies (AHL).
February 24, 2022
The Maple Leafs have recalled forward Kyle Clifford from the Toronto
Marlies (AHL).

LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 5 at Washington 3
Date: Monday, February 28, 2022
TOR Goals: Bunting, Nylander, Holl, Sandin, Engvall
WSH Goals: Sheary, Wilson (2x)
TOR Goaltender: Mrazek, 30/33, .909 SV%
WSH Goaltender: Samsonov, 7/10, .700 SV% – Vanecek, 16/17, 941 SV%
TOR Power Play: 0-for-4
TOR Penalty Kill: 2-for-3
Team Notes:

  • With his ninth goal of the season scored on Monday, Pierre Engvall
    recorded an NHL career-high.
  • Mitch Marner recorded his 11th multi-assist game of the season.
  • Michael Bunting has scored in three-straight road games (3G). Bunting
    is ranked first in the league among rookie point leaders on the road with 30
    (15G, 15A).
  • NEXT GAME
    Date: Saturday, March 5, 2022
    Opponent: vs. Vancouver Canucks
    Time: 7:00 pm ET
    Broadcast Information: Sportsnet (TV), TSN 1050 (Radio)
  • INJURY REPORT
    Ondrej Kase Day-to-Day
    Jake Muzzin Concussion
  • ALL-TIME VS. BUFFALO SABRES:
  • First Matchup between Clubs: November 18, 1970 (Toronto 2 vs. Buffalo 7)
    All-Time Record: 84-106-18-11 (219 Games)
    All-Time Record at Home: 51-40-12-5 (108 Games)
    All-Time Record on the Road: 33-66-6-6 (111 Games)
    Last Home Win vs. Opponent: December 17, 2019 (Toronto 5 vs. Buffalo 3)
    Record in Last Five Games: 3-2-0
    Record in Last 10 Games: 8-2-0
  • ACTIVE LEADERS VS. BUFFALO SABRES:
    Games Played: Jason Spezza (67), John Tavares (35), Wayne Simmonds (30)
    Goals: Jason Spezza (23), John Tavares (22), Auston Matthews (11)
    Assists: Jason Spezza (50), John Tavares (20), Morgan Rielly (14)
    Points: Jason Spezza (73), John Tavares (42), Auston Matthews (18)
    Penalty Minutes: Jason Spezza (44), Wayne Simmonds (27), John Tavares (18)
  • 2021-22 AVERAGES AND RANKINGS
    Points % GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO%
    Toronto .698 3.68 2.85 29.2% 84.7% 34.6 30.7 56.1%
    Buffalo .370 2.61 3.59 19.2% 76.6% 29.7 34.3 46.3%
  • THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2021-22
    Power Play: 42/144 (29.2%)
    Power Play Goal Leader: 12 – Matthews
    Power Play Point Leader: 22 – Matthews (12G, 10A)
    2020-21 Power Play: 31/155 (20.0%)
  • ON THE PK IN 2021-22
    Penalty Kill: 127/150 (84.7%)
    Shorthanded Goal Leader: 2 – Kämpf, Marner, Mikheyev
    Shorthanded Point Leader: 4 – Kämpf (2G, 2A)
    2020-21 Penalty Kill: 113/144 (78.5%)
    FAST FACTS

    Wednesday games 10th of 11 (6 home, 5 road)
    Back-to-Backs played 8 of 13
    Record in first game of back-to-back 4-3-1
    Record in second game of back-to-back 3-4-1
    March games 1st of 14 (9 home, 5 road)
  • UPCOMING MILESTONES
    TJ Brodie Six points away from 300 career NHL points
    Mitch Marner One game away from 400 career NHL games played
    Mitch Marner 10 assists away from his 300th career NHL assist
    Wayne Simmonds Two games away from 1,000 career NHL games played
  • 2021-22 MILESTONES
    TJ Brodie Appeared in his 700th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK
    TJ Brodie Scored his 50th career NHL goal, Dec. 14, 2021 at EDM
    Jack Campbell Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 16, 2021 vs. NSH
    Pierre Engvall Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK
    Ondrej Kaše Recorded his 100th career NHL point, Nov. 10, 2021 at PHI
    Ondrej Kaše Scored his 50th career NHL goal, Dec. 9, 2021 vs. TBL
    Alexander Kerfoot Appeared in his 300th career NHL game, Nov. 26, 2021 at SJS
    Alexander Kerfoot Recorded his 100th career NHL assist, Jan. 1, 2022 vs. OTT
    Timothy Liljegren Scored his first career NHL goal, Jan. 15, 2022 at STL
    Auston Matthews Recorded his 400th career NHL point, Jan. 31, 2022 vs. NJD
    Auston Matthews Recorded his 200th career NHL goal, Oct. 25, 2021 at CAR
    Mitch Marner Recorded his 400th career NHL point, Feb. 14, 2022 at SEA
    Ilya Mikheyev Skated in his 100th career NHL game, Jan. 15, 2022 at STL
    William Nylander Skated in his 400th career NHL game, Feb. 1, 2022 at NJD
    William Nylander Recorded his 300th career NHL point, Jan. 19, 2022 at NYR
    Morgan Rielly Recorded his 250th career NHL assist, Oct. 27, 2021 at CHI
    Morgan Rielly Skated in his 600th career NHL game, Dec. 9, 2021 vs. TBL
    Wayne Simmonds Skated in his 950th career NHL game, Oct. 16, 2021 vs. OTT
    Jason Spezza Skated in his 1,200th career NHL game, Nov. 28, 2021 at ANA
    John Tavares Recorded his 200th point with the Maple Leafs, Oct. 18, 2021 vs. NYR
    John Tavares Scored his 100th goal with the Maple Leafs, Nov. 13, 2021 at BUF
    John Tavares Skated in his 900th career NHL game, Jan. 1, 2022 vs. OTT

SABRES

LAST GAME
Sunday, Feb. 27
Buffalo 2 at Dallas 4
Goals: Thompson, Eakin
Goalie: Anderson (27 saves/31 shots)
PP: 0/1; PK: 2/3; Shots: Buffalo 40 – Dallas 31
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 373)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Drake Caggiula (upper body, Nov. 26; IR) – 35 games
Malcolm Subban (upper body, Jan. 13; IR) – 19 games
Colin Miller (upper body, Jan. 17; IR) – 17 games
Vinnie Hinostroza (lower body, Jan. 18; IR) – 16 games
Zemgus Girgensons (undisclosed, Jan. 29; IR) – 12 games
Will Butcher (lower body, Jan. 30; IR) – 11 games
Henri Jokiharju (lower body, Feb. 25) – 2 games
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
2/22: Recalled F Brandon Biro from Rochester (AHL)
2/25: Reassigned F Brandon Biro to Rochester (AHL)
3/1: Reassigned F Jack Quinn to Rochester (AHL)
UPCOMING GAMES
Friday, March 4: Minnesota at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 6: Los Angeles at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Monday, March 7: Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 10: Vegas at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 13: Toronto at Buffalo, 4 p.m. (2022 NHL Heritage Classic – Tim Hortons Field – Hamilton, ON)
TODAY’S GAME
SABRES at MAPLE LEAFS
This is the second of four meetings between the Sabres and Maple Leafs this season.
Last meeting: Toronto defeated Buffalo 5-4 in Buffalo on Nov. 13, 2021.
Next meeting: Sunday, Mar. 13, 2022 in Hamilton.
The Sabres are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games against the Maple Leafs; 3-6-1 on the road.
This is the 220th game all-time between Buffalo and Toronto; Buffalo has a 117-74-28 series record.
The Sabres are 45-44-19 on the road against the Maple Leafs all-time.
THIS DATE IN SABRES HISTORY
The Sabres are 10-7-3 all-time on March 2.
March 2, 1998: Alexei Zhitnik scores the game’s only goal and Dominik Hasek gets his second shutout in as many nights as the Sabres top the New
York Rangers 1-0 at Madison Square Garden.
March 2, 2007: The Sabres score eight goals, including the first two of Mike Ryan’s career, to top the Montreal Canadiens 8-5 and improve to first
place in the NHL.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Tonight’s contest marks the Sabres’ first game in Toronto since Dec. 17, 2019.
Buffalo has successfully killed off 16 of its last 18 penalties (88.9 percent).
Buffalo Sabres: Media Notes
Tage Thompson has 24 points (12+12) in his last 23 games played, including 15 points (10+5) in his last 13 contests.
Thompson’s eight goals during the month of February tied him for sixth in the NHL during that span.
Thompson has tallied eight shots on goal in each of his last two games.
Since making his Sabres debut on Dec. 29, Sabres forward Alex Tuch has recorded 22 points (7+15) in 22 games.
Tuch currently ranks seventh among all Sabres players in points this season despite playing less than half as many games as five of the six players
ahead of him (Thompson, Skinner, Dahlin, Okposo, and Cozens) and half as many games as the sixth player (Olofsson).
Kyle Okposo has three points (2+1) in his last three contests.
TAKIN’ IT TO TORONTO
Rasmus Dahlin has seven points (2+5) in seven career games against the Maple Leafs and currently holds a four-game point streak against Toronto,
registering five points (2+3) in the four contests.
Dahlin has registered a plus-2 rating in each of his last two games against Toronto.
In three career games at Toronto, Dahlin has tallied four points (1+3).
Kyle Okposo has five points (2+3) in his last five games against Toronto, including at least a point in each of the last three meetings, tallying four
points (2+2) during that span.
Okposo tallied two assists and registered a plus-2 rating against Toronto on Nov. 13, 2021 in Buffalo.
Okposo has recorded 11 points (3+8) in 14 games against Toronto as a member of the Sabres.
In the first matchup with Toronto this season on Nov. 13, 2021, Jeff Skinner recorded three points (2+1).
Tage Thompson tallied two points (1+1) against Toronto on Nov. 13, 2021.
In 32 career starts against Toronto, Craig Anderson holds a record of 17-9-4, along with a .917 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average.
WHAT’S THE SKINNY?
Jeff Skinner has already recorded 20 goals this season, marking the eighth 20-goal season of his 12-year NHL career.
Since entering the league in 2010-11, Skinner ranked 15th among all NHL skaters with 285 goals and was seventh in the league during that span with
228 even-strength tallies before Tuesday’s games.
Among all players to have played at least 25 career games for the Sabres, Skinner ranks ninth with .280 even-strength goals per game (69 EVG in 246
GP).
CHASING 300
Craig Anderson is three wins away from the 300th victory of his NHL career.
38 goaltenders in NHL history have won 300 games in their career, including six active netminders.
With three more wins, Anderson would become the sixth American-born goaltender to reach the 300-win plateau.
Anderson won his 297th career game at Montreal on Feb. 13 to move into 40th all-time in wins by an NHL goaltender.
SETTING THE PACE
A number of Sabres players are on pace for or have already established new career highs in goals, assists and points this season.
With two goals on Nov. 26 in Buffalo’s 20th game of the season, Tage Thompson set a new single-season career high in goals (10) and points (15).
His previous career highs of eight goals and 14 points came in 38 games during the 2020-21 season.
Dylan Cozens has already eclipsed his 2020-21 totals in goals (4), assists (9) and points (13).
Cozens established new career highs in goals (5 goals in 21 GP), assists (10 assists in 38 GP) and points (14 points in 23 GP) in fewer games than
the 41 contests he played in as a rookie.
Rasmus Asplund has already set a new single-season career high in assists and points and is on pace to establish a new career high in goals.
Asplund reached 12 points (5+7) in 19 games this season. He recorded 11 points (7+4) in 2020-21 over 28 games played.
Despite missing 10 games this season, Victor Olofsson is on pace for 28 assists, which would establish a new career high.
Kyle Okposo is on pace for 21 goals and 48 points this season, which would be Okposo’s highest totals since he registered 22 goals and 64 points in
his last season as a member of the New York Islanders in 2015-16.
Rasmus Dahlin is on pace for 12 goals, 40 assists and 52 points, all of which would surpass his previous career-high marks.
Despite playing in just 22 of Buffalo’s 54 games this season, Alex Tuch is on pace to record 34 assists, which would eclipse his career-high total of 32
assists from the 2018-19 season in which he played 74 games.
Despite missing 18 games this season, Henri Jokiharju is on pace for five goals, 16 assists and 21 points, all of which would be new career highs.
HEY NOW, YOU’RE A DAHL-STAR
Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was selected to represent Buffalo on the Atlantic Division team at the 2022 All-Star Game on Feb. 5. It’s
Dahlin’s first career All-Star Game selection.
Dahlin tallied two points (1+1) and led the Atlantic Division team in ice time (7:41) and shots on goal (4) on Feb. 5 at the 2022 All-Star Game.
Dahlin currently leads the Sabres in assists (26) and is third on the team in points (34).
Dahlin’s 13 power-play points are also good for the team lead.
Dahlin’s eight goals this season tied him for 12th in the NHL among defensemen entering play Tuesday.
Since Nov. 21, 2021, Dahlin was tied for 11th among NHL defensemen in scoring entering play Tuesday, tallying 26 points (6+20) during that span.
In less than four full seasons, Dahlin is already climbing up Buffalo’s record books. Among all Sabres defensemen in franchise history, Dahlin ranks…
17th in goals (26), one away from matching Richie Dunn for 16th all-time
14th in assists (115)
16th in points (141), four away from tying Dmitri Kalinin for 15th all-time
14th in power-play goals (10), two shy of moving into a five-way tie for 10th all-time
10th in power-play points (63), one away from tying Mike Ramsey and Brian Campbell for eighth all- time
Among Sabres defensemen to play at least 82 games for the franchise, Dahlin ranks fifth in both assists per game (0.46) and points per game (0.57)
and 11th in goals per game (0.10).
Including this season, Dahlin owns two of the three most productive seasons by a Sabres defenseman in the last 25 years (dating back to 1996-97).
Brian Campbell, .683 P/GP (2008-09)
Rasmus Dahlin, .678 P/GP (2019-20)
Rasmus Dahlin, .654 P/GP (2021-22)
SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Hayden (87), Hagg (75), Dahlin (67)
Blocked Shots: Hagg (77), Pysyk (75), Dahlin (61)
Shots: Skinner (164), Thompson (164), Okposo (121)
SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK]
1-10: 5-4-1 (11), 29/27, 7/27, 25/28
11-20: 3-6-1: (7), 28/40, 4/26, 17/26
21-30: 2-5-3: (7), 24/36, 3/23, 18/21
31-40: 2-6-2 (6), 23/35, 6/30, 20/31
41-50: 4-5-1 (9), 30/36, 7/31, 24/30
51-60: 0-4-0 (0), 8/20, 1/9, 7/9
OVERTIME RESULTS (1-7; 127-145 all-time)
Oct. 23 at NJD: L, 2-1 (GWG-Zacha)
Oct. 28 at ANA: W, 4-3 (GWG-Asplund)
Nov. 6 vs. DET: L, 4-3 (GWG-Seider)
Nov. 27 at DET: L, 3-2 (GWG-Raymond)
Dec. 17 at PIT: L, 3-2 (GWG-Carter)
Jan. 1 at BOS: L, 4-3 (GWG-Coyle)
Jan. 17 vs. DET, L, 3-2 (GWG-Larkin)
Feb. 10 vs. CBJ, L, 4-3 (GWG-Voracek)
SHOOTOUT RESULTS (2-1; 83-75 all-time)
Oct. 16 vs. ARI: W, 2-1 (GDG-Ruotsalainen)
Dec. 11 vs. WSH: L, 3-2 (GDG-Oshie)
Dec. 16 at MIN: W, 3-2 (GDG-Thompson)
MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Games Played
Tage Thompson … 5 games … 200 career games
Dylan Cozens … 8 games … 100 career games
Henri Jokiharju … 11 games … 200 career games
Assists
Alex Tuch … 7 assists … 100 career assists
Wins
Craig Anderson … 3 wins … 300 career win

MAPLE LEAFS 5, SABRES 4

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (10-5-1 – 21 Points) at
BUFFALO SABRES (6-6-2 – 14 Points)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2021
1 2 3 FINAL
TORONTO 1 2 2 5
BUFFALO 1 1 2 4

ON THE SCORESHEET

  • Morgan Rielly scored the game-winning goal for the Maple Leafs at 19:48 of the third period posting
    his first goal of the season. Rielly also recorded the primary assist on Tavares’ goal marking his second
    multi-point outing of the season.
  • David Kämpf scored for the Maple Leafs at 2:43 of the first period. Kämpf recorded his second goal of
    the season.
  • Ondřej Kaše scored for Toronto at 7:18 of the second period. Kaše recorded his fourth goal of the
    season and has registered a goal in three consecutive games (3G).
  • Michael Bunting scored for the Maple Leafs at 8:28 of the second period. Bunting posted his fourth
    goal of the season.
  • John Tavares scored on a power play opportunity for Toronto at 9:22 of the third period. Tavares
    posted his eighth goal of the season and 100th as a Maple Leaf. Tavares also recorded the primary
    assist on Kaše’s goal posting his seventh assist of the season.
  • Alexander Kerfoot posted the primary assist on both Kämpf’s goal and Rielly’s game-winner. Kerfoot
    is currently on a three-game assist streak (4A).
  • Pierre Engvall recorded the secondary assist on Kämpf’s goal. Engvall notched his third assist of the
    season.
  • Auston Matthews posted the secondary assist on Kaše’s goal recording his sixth assist of the season.
    Matthews has registered four points through the last three games (1G, 3A).
  • Jake Muzzin posted the primary assist on Bunting’s goal. Muzzin recorded his fourth assist of the
    season.
  • Jason Spezza registered the secondary assist on Bunting’s goal. Spezza posted his third assist of the
    season.
  • Mitch Marner posted the secondary assist on Tavares’ goal. Marner notched his 11th assist of the
    season.
  • Joseph Woll stopped 23 of 27 shots he faced in tonight’s win.
    SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)
    1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
    BUFFALO 13 (11) 7 (7) 7 (7) 27 (25)
    TORONTO 5 (3) 8 (8) 13 (11) 26 (22)
    SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)
    1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL
    BUFFALO 22 (18) 16 (16) 19 (18) 57 (39)
    TORONTO 8 (5) 13 (13) 23 (21) 44 (52)
    ON THE ROAD AGAIN
  • The Maple Leafs are 3-3-0 on the road this season.
  • Toronto’s all-time record is 84-106-18-11 in 219 games against the Buffalo Sabres and 33-66-6-6 in
    111 games played in Buffalo.
  • Toronto is 7-3-1 against the Eastern Conference this season and 6-1-0 against the Atlantic Division
    this season.
    MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
    Shots 4 (Rielly)
    Shot Attempts 5 (Rielly, Matthews)
    Faceoff Wins 14 (Kämpf)
    Faceoff Win Percentage 78% (Kämpf – 14 won, 4 lost)
    Hits 2 (Ritchie)
    Blocked Shots 4 (Brodie)
    Takeaways 1 (Spezza)
    TOI 24:35 (Rielly)
    Power Play TOI 1:08 (Marner, Matthews, Rielly, Nylander,
    Tavares)
    Shorthanded TOI 2:02 (Holl, Muzzin)
    Shifts 29 (Rielly)
    5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage 86.67% (Engvall – 13 for, 2 against)
    RECORD WHEN…
  • The Maple Leafs were 1-for-1 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill tonight.
  • Toronto is 5-1-0 when scoring the first goal of the game.
  • The Maple Leafs are 5-2-0 when tied after one period and 6-0-0 when leading after two periods.
  • Toronto is 4-2-0 when outshot by their opponent.
  • The Maple Leafs are 4-1-0 in Saturday games and 1-2-0 in the second game of a back-to-back.
    OF NOTE…
  • Goaltender Joseph Woll made his NHL debut in tonight’s game and earned his first career NHL win.
  • Per NHL PR, Joseph Woll (23 saves) became the first Maple Leafs goaltender to earn a win in his
    NHL debut since Garret Sparks on Nov. 30, 2015.
  • John Tavares recorded his 100th goal as a Maple Leaf.
  • Morgan Rielly was on the ice for a team-high 20 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5.
  • Pierre Engvall finished the game with a team-high 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 86.67 percent
    (13 for, 2 against).
    UPCOMING GAMES:
    Nov. 16 Leafs vs. Nashville Scotiabank Arena 7:00 pm ET
    Nov. 18 Leafs vs. New York Rangers Scotiabank Arena 7:00 pm ET
    Nov. 20 Leafs vs. Pittsburgh Scotiabank Arena 7:00 pm ET
    Nov. 21 Leafs at New York Islanders UBS Arena 7:30 pm ET
    Nov. 24 Leafs at Los Angeles STAPLES Center 10:00 pm ET
    Nov. 26 Leafs at San Jose SAP Arena at San Jose 10:30 pm ET
    Stats reflect official NHL stats at the time of distribution
    POSTGAME QUOTES:
    HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE
    Q: On getting the win for Joseph Woll in his debut:
    Sheldon Keefe: “It was nice to get it for him. Obviously for him coming in here today, his focus is to
    come in and do the job for the team and get two points so for us to get it out there, regardless of how we
    got it, I’m happy for him and his family.”
    JOHN TAVARES
    Q: On Joseph Woll’s performance:
    John Tavares: “I think he played great. I’m sure a lot of jitters, a lot of butterflies for him. He looked
    confident and calm. It’s too bad we didn’t do a better job in front of him, but we fought right until the end
    and then got a big W so always nice to get him the first one.”
    MORGAN RIELLY
    Q: On Joseph Woll’s performance:
    Morgan Rielly: “He’s a good young man. He’s a smart kid, works hard and puts his time in… I thought Joe
    was really good so that’s great and obviously there are areas of our game we need to clean up. But the
    fact that he gets to walk out here with a win and a game puck and a game like that is awesome and he
    deserves it and is playing hard.
    MICHAEL BUNTING
    Q: On getting the win for Joseph Woll in his debut:
    Michael Bunting: “Yeah we definitely wanted to play for him and play strong in front of him. We had a
    couple hiccups that weren’t his fault at all but I thought he played unbelievable in the net and he stood in
    there strong for us when we weren’t playing our best so I’m really happy for him and I’m sure it’s going to
    be a night he’s going to remember for the rest of his life.”
    JOSEPH WOLL
    Q: How his NHL debut has felt – from when he knew was getting the start until tonight:
    Joseph Woll: “From the moment I knew I was getting the start it was pretty special. It’s something you
    dream of as a kid and I’m just happy I was able to do it with the Leafs. Then for tonight, I think it was such
    a special team win. I look at how well they played in front of me and especially after they came back and
    made it 4-4 and then we just controlled and dominated the game until the end there. So I can’t say
    enough good things about this team and it was pretty cool to see how much they had my back out there.”

Maple Leafs-Sabres pregame notes




2021-22 Matchups vs. Buffalo: First of Four
2020-21 Record vs. Buffalo: N/A
Next Game vs. Buffalo: Wednesday, March 2 at Buffalo
Toronto Season Record: 9-5-1
Toronto Road Record: 2-3-0
TV: Sportsnet RADIO: Sportsnet 590

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
November 7, 2021
Forward Joey Anderson has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies
(AHL)
November 7, 2021
Forward Kirill Semyonov has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies
(AHL)
November 6, 2021
Goaltender Joseph Woll has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies
(AHL)

LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 2 vs. Calgary 1 – OTW
Date: Friday, November 12, 2021
TOR Goals: Kaše, Matthews
CGY Goals: Kylington
TOR Goaltender: Campbell, 30/31, .968 SV%
CGY Goaltender: Vladar, 35/37, .946 SV%
TOR Power Play: 0-for-3
CGY Power Play: 0-for-1

NEXT GAME


Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Opponent: vs. Nashville Predators
Broadcast Information: TSN4 (TV), TSN 1050 (Radio)


INJURY REPORT
Petr Mrázek (Groin) *On Injured Reserve
Ilya Mikheyev (Thumb) *On Injured Reserve
Man Games Lost: 25

ALL-TIME VS. BUFFALO SABRES:
First Matchup between Clubs: November 18, 1970 (Toronto 2 vs. Buffalo 7)
All-Time Record: 83-106-18-11 (218 Games)
All-Time Record at Home: 51-40-12-5 (108 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road: 32-66-6-6 (110 Games)
Last Home Win vs. Opponent: March 20, 2019 (Toronto 4 at Buffalo 2)
Record in Last Five Games: 3-2-0
Record in Last 10 Games: 7-3-0


ACTIVE LEADERS VS. BUFFALO SABRES:
Games Played: Jason Spezza (66), John Tavares (34), Wayne Simmonds (30)
Goals: Jason Spezza (23), John Tavares (21), Auston Matthews (11)
Assists: Jason Spezza (49), John Tavares (19), Morgan Rielly (13)
Points: Jason Spezza (72), John Tavares (40), Auston Matthews (17)
Penalty Minutes: Jason Spezza (44), Wayne Simmonds (27), Nick Ritchie (20)

2021-22 AVERAGES AND RANKINGS
Points % GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO%
Toronto .633 2.53 2.53 23.3% 86.7% 34.7 30.9 53.3%
NHL Rank 13th-T 25th 7th 8th-T 7th 6th 19th-T 5th

THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2021-22
Power Play: 10/43 (23.3%)
Power Play Goal Leader: 3 – Matthews, Nylander
Power Play Point Leader: 6 – Nylander
2020-21 Power Play: 31/155 (20.0%)

ON THE PK IN 2021-22
Penalty Kill: 39/45 (86.7%)
Shorthanded Goal Leader: N/A
Shorthanded Point Leader: N/A
2020-21 Penalty Kill: 113/144 (78.5%)


FAST FACTS
Saturday games 5th of 22 (10 home, 12 road)
Back-to-Backs played 2 of 13
Record in first game of Back-to-Back 2-1-0
Record in second game of Back-to-Back 0-2-0
November games 7th of 14 (8 home, 6 road)


RECENT MILESTONES

TJ BRODIE Appeared in his 700th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK
PIERRE ENGVALL Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK
ONDREJ KAŠE Recorded his 100th career NHL point, Nov. 10, 2021 at PHI
AUSTON MATTHEWS
Recorded his 200th NHL goal on Oct. 25 at CAR. Per NHL Stats,
Matthews required the second-fewest games to reach 200 goals in Maple
Leafs history among players who debuted with the team, trailing only
Charlie Conacher (317 games).
AUSTON MATTHEWS
Recorded his 300th NHL point with a goal on Feb. 8 vs. VAN, tying Charlie
Conacher to become the second-fastest Maple Leaf to reach the mark at
294 games.
MORGAN RIELLY
Recorded his 300th NHL point with an assist on Apr. 13 vs. CGY to
become the sixth defenceman in franchise history to record 300 points with
the club.
MORGAN RIELLY Recorded his 250th career NHL assist on Oct. 27 at CHI
KIRILL SEMYONOV Made his NHL debut, Nov. 10 at PHI
WAYNE SIMMONDS Skated in his 950th career NHL game on Oct. 16 vs. OTT
JOHN TAVARES Recorded his 200th point with the Maple Leafs on Oct. 18 vs. NYR.

UPCOMING MILESTONES
TJ BRODIE One goal away from 50 career NHL goals
JACK CAMPBELL Two wins away from 50 career NHL wins
JACK CAMPBELL One games away from 100 career NHL games played
TRAVIS DERMOTT Two points away from 50 career NHL points
JUSTIN HOLL Nine points away from 50 career NHL points
ONDREJ KAŠE Four goals away from 50 career NHL goals
DAVID KÄMPF Eight assists away from 50 career NHL assists
ILYA MIKHEYEV Seven games away from 100 career NHL games played

Reports: Bruins nab Taylor Hall — Boston Herald

Bruins GM Don Sweeney was very business Sunday night and into Monday morning, first adding some puck-moving ability on the back end and then reportedly swinging for the fences for his add up front. Though there was no official confirmation from the Bruins or Sabres, there were multiple reports that the B’s obtained one-time Hart…

Reports: Bruins nab Taylor Hall — Boston Herald

New Jersey Devils Pre-Game Notes: Feb. 20 vs Buffalo Sabres —

New Jersey Devils (6-3-2) vs. Buffalo Sabres (4-7-2) • 12:30 PM ET • Prudential Center • MSG+ / MSG-B *Links for Devils Hockey Network can be found on newjerseydevils.com and on Devils’ social media channels.* Check @NJDevils on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook for Morning Skate Interviews Pre-Game Availability *subject to change ~ 10:00am (approx.)- Media Availability for select players and […]

New Jersey Devils Pre-Game Notes: Feb. 20 vs Buffalo Sabres —

SABRES 5, MAPLE LEAFS 2 — WHAT THEY SAID: “To me it was pretty apparent from about the 10-minute mark of the first period on that we didn’t have it today. So, I was frankly I was a little stunned that we had the surge we did to start the third, just because we just didn’t seem to have it today. So I was impressed with our team and how we pushed and how we started in that third period. Like I said, we could have been ahead in that game. A penalty goes against us. We didn’t like the response there, but it seemed liked we played and defended tired for most of the game and just made life really easy for them.” — SHELDON KEEFE.

HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE

On tonight’s game:

Well, obviously, for the first 10 minutes the first period, I thought we were fine. Not a lot happening really either way, but I thought we were fine to start the game. It got away on us in the second half of the first and then all through the second period, for the most part we weren’t really even in the building. We regrouped, had a really strong surge to start the third period, put ourselves in the position to tie the game. I thought we had some chances even to take a lead and then got off-kilter there with a penalty call against us and that goes in on us on the penalty kill. We obviously didn’t recover or respond well after that.

On his level of concern with the team handling tonight’s momentum swings:

To me it was pretty apparent from about the 10-minute mark of the first period on that we didn’t have it today. So, I was frankly I was a little stunned that we had the surge we did to start the third, just because we just didn’t seem to have it today. So I was impressed with our team and how we pushed and how we started in that third period. Like I said, we could have been ahead in that game. A penalty goes against us. We didn’t like the response there, but it seemed liked we played and defended tired for most of the game and just made life really easy for them.

On Andersen’s play in goal tonight:

Yeah, probably the one positive I’ll take from the game is Fred was able to get a lot of work today. Our goalies haven’t had a lot of work for quite some time in terms of the shots and chances against. So it’s a chance for Fred to get his confidence and get a lot of pucks, a lot of action and a lot of movement in the puck. Buffalo was really good today. We weren’t good at all, but I was impressed with Buffalo today. They moved with the puck with the skill they have, the depth, all four lines — they didn’t give you any shifts off — all six defence, their goaltender was very strong. We didn’t get a lot of action, but when we did get around the net, we had a lot of really good looks. He was excellent for them to not really let us get any sort of real momentum, but I was impressed by their team today. It was a lot of action for Fred.

FREDERIK ANDERSEN (31 SAVES)

On how he felt in tonight’s game:

Yeah, I just tried to focus on what I had to do on my part and obviously, we didn’t come up with the win so disappointing.

On his teammates feeling like they left him out to dry:

I don’t know I think everyone’s going to go through ups and downs, so I didn’t really think about anything I just tried to do my part. That’s all I’ve got to say.

ZACH HYMAN (1 GOAL)

On Buffalo’s three straight goals in the third and playing three games in four nights:

Everyone plays 82 games so 3-in-4 doesn’t matter. They got the momentum there on the power play and they scored two quick ones after that on two mistakes, one of them being mine and that’s it. That’s the game. It’s 5-2 and it’s hard to come back from that.

On what allowed the team to push early in the third:

Well, I think Freddie gave us a chance to win the game and I think we were in the game, down 2-1 going into the third. We were lucky to be down 2-1 going into the third. We came out and started the third strong and then that power play. After that there was a three-minute stretch there where they got three and then the game was over.

JASON SPEZZA (1 ASSIST)

On the momentum swings in the third period:

Yeah, we did a good job to make the push in the third and then they get the power play goal and we give them two more. At that point of the game we’ve got to find a way to drag points out of this. Fred played phenomenal for us and gave us a chance to be in the game and we probably didn’t deserve to be after two periods. These are games you’d like to see us drag points out of.

On the team’s ability to put together a full 60-minute effort:

It’s a tough time of year. Teams are going to take momentum; I don’t think you’re going to get 60 minutes of dominant hockey. You’re going to have to understand that you’ve got to control the momentum swings a little better than we did. You can’t give up three, the other team gets momentum and, for us, it’s being able to halt their momentum and get it back coming our way. It’s a tough time of year, you’ve got to drag points out of games, it’s a lot of hockey in a short period of time. We have to find a way to be better to get more points.

JOHN TAVARES (18:04 TOI)

On tonight’s third period after tying the game:

Yeah, we got ourselves back in it in a game that we probably didn’t deserve to be in. We stuck with it and found a way; Freddie gave us a great chance and then we just make mistakes. Obviously, a great opportunity to grab some points, find a way to get a win and let it get away from us.

More on the third period:

We didn’t execute and they came hard and played hard and we just didn’t match them.

MAPLE LEAFS AT SABRES PREGAME NOTES: William Nylander leads the Maple Leafs in game-winning goals (5).- One of eight NHLers to average at least 14:00 minutes per game at 5-on-5 (14:35) while maintaining a goal per 60-minute rate of at least 1.20 (1.30).- Averages 2.26 takeaways per 60 minutes of ice time, third among Toronto skaters who have appeared in at least 40 games.- Averaging 13.58 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which ranks seventh among NHL right wingers who average 14:00 per game at 5-on-5 (14:35).

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (31-20-8 – 70 Points) vs.

BUFFALO SABRES (26-24-8 – 60 Points)

FEBRUARY 16, 2020 ▪ 7:00 PM EST

KEYBANK CENTER (BUFFALO, NY) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ▪ RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN

MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus BUFFALO

ALL-TIME RECORD:83-105-18-11 (217 Games)
ALL-TIME ON THE ROAD:32-65-6-6 (109 Games)
2019-20:2-1-0
LAST FIVE:4-1-0
LAST 10:8-2-0

MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus BUFFALO

GAMES PLAYED:Jason Spezza (65), John Tavares (33), Morgan Rielly (26)
GOALS:Jason Spezza (23), John Tavares (21), Auston Matthews (11)
ASSISTS:Jason Spezza (48), John Tavares (19), Morgan Rielly (13)
POINTS:Jason Spezza (71), John Tavares (40), Auston Matthews (17)
PENALTY MINUTES:Jason Spezza (44), Zach Hyman (20), John Tavares (18)

MAPLE LEAFS – SABRES TEAM STATS

 TORONTOBUFFALO
GOALS FOR (Rank):208 (2nd)165 (t-21st)
GOALS AGAINST (Rank):       190 (27th)179 (18th)
POWER PLAY [%] (Rank):40/160 [25.0%] (t-3rd)32/166 [19.3%] (t-19th)
PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank):129/165 [78.2%] (23rd)123/164 [75.0%] (29th)
SHOTS (Rank):1976 (4th)1692 (29th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank):2979 (2nd)2361 (30th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank):52.5% (5th)49.3% (18th)
FACEOFF % (Rank):52.9% (3rd)46.2% (31st)

MAPLE LEAFS – SABRES NOTES

First Matchup between Clubs:November 18, 1970 vs. Buffalo (Buffalo 7, Toronto 2)
All-Time Record:83-105-18-11 (217 Games)
All-Time Record at Home:51-40-12-5 (108 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road:32-65-6-6 (109 Games)
Last Win vs. Opponent on the Road:March 2, 2019 (Toronto 5, Buffalo 2)
  

MAPLE LEAFS MILESTONES vs. SABRES

Frederik Andersen100th win as a Maple Leaf (February 25, 2019 vs. Buffalo)
Tyson Barrie100th NHL point (Goal) (March 28, 2015 (COL) vs. Buffalo)
Cody CeciFirst NHL game (December 12, 2013 (OTT) vs. Buffalo)
Frederik GauthierFirst NHL game (March 19, 2016 vs. Buffalo)
Zach HymanFirst NHL point (Goal) (March 7, 2016 vs. Buffalo)
Martin MarincinFirst goal as a Maple Leaf (March 19, 2016 vs. Buffalo)
Auston Matthews200th NHL point (Assist) (March 20, 2019 at Buffalo)
John Tavares400th NHL assist (November 30, 2019 vs. Buffalo)
  

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

CATEGORYLEADER
GOALS42 (Matthews)
ASSISTS44 (Marner)
POINTS71 (Matthews)
POWER PLAY POINTS22 (Matthews)
SHORTHANDED POINTS2 (Engvall, Kapanen)
PIMs37 (Holl)
SHOTS240 (Matthews)
FACEOFF WIN%57.5% (Gauthier)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %55.5% (Nylander)
BLOCKED SHOTS94 (Muzzin)
TAKEAWAYS65 (Matthews)
HITS103 (Muzzin)
TOI PER GAME24:15 (Rielly)
PP TOI PER GAME3:06 (Marner)
SH TOI PER GAME2:50 (Ceci)

MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES

Frederik Andersen– Tied for second among NHL goaltenders in wins (24).- Has a 14-4-0 record on the road with a .922 save percentage and a 2.52 goals-against average.- Has a save percentage over .900 in 55.8 percent of his starts this season, which is the sixth-highest percentage among goaltenders who have appeared in 40 games.
Tyson Barrie– Has five multi-assist games, which is tied for 12th-most among NHL defencemen.- Tied for 10th among NHL defencemen in multi-point games (9).
– Leads the Maple Leafs in slap shots taken (51).- Averages 14.49 shot attempts per game at 5-on-5, which is the fourth-highest average among NHL defencemen who have played in at least 50 games.
Jack Campbell– Has a 3-0-1 record with a .919 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average since being acquired by the Maple Leafs.
Kyle Clifford– Ranks sixth among NHL left wingers who have appeared in 50 games in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (54.7%).
– Ranks 26th among NHLers who have appeared in at least 50 games played in hits per 60 minutes (9.25).
Pierre Engvall– Signed a two-year contract extension on February 12.- Has played 31.4 percent of Toronto’s shorthanded ice time since joining the team, which is the second-highest shorthanded time on ice percentage among the League’s rookie forwards who have appeared in at least 30 games.- Has an on-ice goals-for percentage of 57.1 percent at 5-on-5, which is the second highest among NHL rookie forwards who have appeared in 30 games.
Justin Holl– Ranks first in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (52.4%) among right-handed defencemen who have started less than 45 percent of their 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone (44.4%).- Has the highest unblocked shot attempt percentage at 5-on-5 (52.9%) among right-handed defencemen to have started fewer than 45 percent (44.4%) of their shifts in the offensive zone.
Zach Hyman– Third among Toronto skaters and tied for 25th among NHLers in points since January 1 (8-9-17; 18 GP).- Has 11 points (3-8-11) in 11 games against Atlantic Division opponents this season. – Ranks fifth among Maple Leafs skaters in points per game (0.80).
Kasperi Kapanen– Has drawn 13 penalties this season and taken four, which gives him the highest net penalties among Toronto skaters (+9) and ranks tied for 26th among NHL forwards.- Ranks second among Maple Leafs and 12th among NHL right wingers who have appeared in 50 games in assists per 60 minutes of ice time (1.24) at 5-on-5.- Has recorded 20 (8-12-20) of his 32 points in 29 games on the road this season.
Alex Kerfoot– Ranks second among Toronto skaters who have appeared in 40 games in assists per 60 minutes of ice time (1.27) at 5-on-5.- Tied for eighth among Maple Leafs in even-strength points (7-15-22).- Has 10 points (4-6-10) in 15 games against Atlantic Division opposition.
Mitch Marner– Tied for eighth among NHL skaters in assists (44). Has the most assists among NHLers who have appeared in fewer than 50 games.- Has 12 multi-assist games, which is tied for the third-most among NHL skaters.- Averaging 1.23 points per game, which is the 10th-highest average in the NHL.- Averaging 1.84 assists per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which is tied for fourth among NHLers who have appeared in at least 40 games.- Ninth in the NHL in primary assists (28). His 28 primary assists are the most among NHLers who have appeared in 50 or fewer games.
Auston Matthews– Tied for first among NHL skaters in goals (42).- Leads the NHL with 31 even-strength goals.- Leads the NHL in goals scored at 5-on-5 (26).- Leads the NHL in wrist shot goals (26).- Second in the NHL in multi-goal games (10).- Ninth among NHL skaters in points (42-29-71).- Fourth in the NHL with 240 shots on goal.
William Nylander– Leads the Maple Leafs in game-winning goals (5).- One of eight NHLers to average at least 14:00 minutes per game at 5-on-5 (14:35) while maintaining a goal per 60-minute rate of at least 1.20 (1.30).- Averages 2.26 takeaways per 60 minutes of ice time, which ranks third among Toronto skaters who have appeared in at least 40 games.- Averaging 13.58 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which ranks seventh among NHL right wingers who average 14:00 per game at 5-on-5 (14:35).
Rasmus Sandin– Ranks third among rookie defencemen who have appeared in at least 10 games in points per 60 minutes of ice time (1.25) at 5-on-5. – Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 54.9 percent, which ranks third among rookie defencemen who have skated in at least 10 games.
Jason Spezza– Averaging 1.89 points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which is the sixth-highest average among Toronto skaters who have appeared in at least 40 games.- Averaging 0.94 goals per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which ranks third among Maple Leafs who have appeared in at least 40 games.
John Tavares– Tied for 22nd among NHL skaters in multi-point games (15).- Has 10 points (5-5-10) in eight games during the month of February.- Has an on-ice shot attempt percentage of 54.3 percent at 5-on-5 when the Maple Leafs are leading in games, which is the highest percentage when leading among NHL forwards who have appeared in at least 40 games and average 15 minutes per game in 5-on-5 ice time (15:37).- Has drawn a team-high 15 penalties this season. – Has won 55.3 percent of his offensive zone faceoffs this season, which is the 11th-highest percentage among NHLers who have taken 900 draws in all situations.
  

CURRENT POINT STREAKS

Zach HymanHas points (3-3-6) in five consecutive games.
Mitch MarnerHas points (1-1-2) in two consecutive games.
Auston MatthewsHas goals (2) and points (2-1-3) in two consecutive games.
William NylanderHas points (1-1-2) in two consecutive games.
John TavaresHas assists (3) in three consecutive games and points (5-5-10) in seven consecutive games.
  

UPCOMING MILESTONES

William NylanderFour games from 300 games.
Jason SpezzaFive assists from 600 assists
  

RECENT MILESTONES

Timothy LiljegrenFirst NHL point (Assist) (February 15 at Ottawa)
  

INJURY REPORT

Cody Ceci (Ankle)On injured reserve.
Andreas Johnsson (Knee)Left Toronto’s game on February 13 vs. Dallas and did not return.
Ilya Mikheyev (Wrist Laceration)On injured reserve.
Morgan Rielly (Foot)On injured reserve.
 Man Games Lost: 152

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

February 14Loaned forward Pontus Aberg and goaltender Michael Hutchinson to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
February 13Activated goaltender Frederik Andersen from injured reserve. Placed goaltender Michael Hutchinson on waivers.
February 12Signed forward Pierre Engvall to a two-year contract extension.
February 10Recalled forward Pontus Aberg from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
Placed goaltender Frederik Andersen on injured reserve.
  

Matthews’ pair of goals power Maple Leafs past Sabres — Toronto Sun

As they continue to iron out the kinks with Sheldon Keefe as coach, the Maple Leafs also continue to rack up the victories. It’s now eight wins in 12 games since the refreshing Keefe took over from the spent Mike Babcock, the latest a 5-3 triumph against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night at Scotiabank […]

Matthews’ pair of goals power Maple Leafs past Sabres — Toronto Sun

LEAFS 5, SABRES 3 QUOTES: “It just speaks to the potential of the team because we’re still nowhere near what I think we can look like and what we’re capable of, but we’re doing a lot of good things. The penalty kill lets one in here today, but we get a huge kill late in the game. So, special teams have been better there. The power play had some looks and had some chances. I think we can get a little bit better there as well.” SHELDON KEEFE.

HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE

On tonight’s game:

I really liked our start in the game. Once again, we find a way to play with a lead. Obviously, that’s an area we want to be good at and we want to set ourselves up to win games. Certainly, the focus once again — it went beyond the third period, of course, that’s when the puck goes in the net — but, to me, it gets away on us in the second period. It doesn’t end up in our net, necessarily. We get two elite plays by Auston [Matthews] that give us some goals and give us a cushion there, but I didn’t like a lot of our game in the second period in terms of how we took care of the puck and forced the issue a little bit. And then it just catches up with us a little bit the third period there. While at the same time, I think it gets a little bit louder in the third because the puck ends up in the net — the penalty kill goal and Eichel gets behind us there. The third goal is one that stands out to me as a real negative for us, a lot of sloppy play there. That was more of what we saw, I thought, in the second period.

On trying to balance attacking play with defending a lead:

Yeah, that’s what we’re talking about, we’re fine with that a lot. As I’ve said, we’ve been able to play with the lead a lot here in my time I’ve been here. We’ve had the lead a lot and we’ve put ourselves in these positions a lot. I think in that we’re showing where the next phase is for us as a team. I think the team played from behind a lot early in the season and now we’re playing with a lead a lot. There’s a lot of areas there we’ve got to be a little more purposeful and a little more intelligent with what we do with the puck. I think we have real potential to really control the game in those periods of time, but we’re not there yet.

On the performance of the Nylander-Matthews-Kapanen line:

I thought they were good. I didn’t like, of course, the third goal. Couldn’t get the puck out and you get caught out there tired and when you get out there tired, you’re going to have defensive breakdowns. But I thought they had the puck a lot more today, a lot more time in the offensive zone. The goals were elite and that’s what you come to expect when he has those opportunities like that — finish — and he made no mistake. That really puts us in a position to win the game. He did his job.

On the team’s ability to win while he’s making adjustments to the style of play:

I think it just speaks to the potential of the team because we’re still nowhere near what I think we can look like and what we’re capable of, but we’re doing a lot of good things. The penalty kill lets one in here today, but we get a huge kill late in the game. So, special teams have been better there. The power play had some looks and had some chances. I think we can get a little bit better there as well. Playing with the lead, getting the lead — a lot of good, positive things that we’ve seen. Yet, I still think there’s a long way for the team to go and continue to grow.

TYSON BARRIE (2 ASSISTS)

On playing tonight after missing most of Saturday’s game against Edmonton:

Yeah, it was good. We didn’t skate this morning either, so I wasn’t sure how it was going to feel but thankfully it felt really good. Hopefully that’s behind me.

On the team getting off to a strong start:

I think we’re putting ourselves in good position, got up early, but we’ve got to find a way to control that lead. Still play solid defence but find a way to continue to carry the play and stay in the O-zone. That will be a focus for us but obviously anytime you get a 3-0 lead is big.

On the defence being active in the offensive zone:

It’s tough. I think we play against it and when the D is active and kind of rolling around the O-zone it’s really tough to sort out who’s who. You’re going to get some open looks, [Rielly] found me with a good pass — I think I just missed it — but it’s a lot of fun too. I think it suits our team well.

AUSTON MATTHEWS (2 GOALS)

On what the team did well in transition to lead to his goals:

Well, I think for us, you get rush opportunities when you’re good without the puck and in good positions. I think you just pick up the players, you’re in good spots and you’re able to catch them on odd-man rushes. So, a couple of those plays, especially my second goal, just a really nice play by Willy [Nylander] to get the zone entry and pull up and find me, the late guy coming in.

On if he liked the team’s resilience to keep pushing back when Buffalo gained momentum:

Yeah, I think we’d like to do a better job and not let it get as close as it did. But I think it’s all about the process that we’re going through to make sure that when we’re playing with a lead that we’re taking care of the puck and trying not to change too much in our game. Obviously, sometimes you’ve got to live to fight another day in certain areas of the game and on certain plays.

JOHN TAVARES (9 SHOT ATTEMPTS)

On what he liked about tonight’s game:

Well, I think when we come back well through the middle of the ice and get above them and let our [defence] be able to stay up, we have a great transition type of team. In the first half of the game, I think we did a lot of good things. Even on the cycle and in-zone and generating some offense and some puck possession, but I think we’d like to be a little better, especially the second half of the game. As we start to play with some more leads, which we have and is a good sign and something we want to keep doing, we obviously want to continue to take the game, control it and continue to increase our lead if we can and make the opponent have to defend. Overall, we stuck with it and a good win.

On how the game feels different when playing with the lead:

Well I think the other team has to chase it a little bit. You know, we can just stick to what we’re doing and be aggressive, but we can be patient with our game. Just really try not to give them much room or anything easy and really have to force anything. Just stay with it and build on what we’re doing well.

MAPLE LEAFS 5, SABRES 3: Auston Matthews’ first goal of the game was his 20th this season, which makes him the second player in franchise history (Dave Keon – 1960-61 to 1965-66) to begin his career with four consecutive 20-goal seasons, per NHL Stats. His goals are the 131st and 132nd of his career, which moves him past Doug Gilmour and Nick Metz for sole possession of 32nd on the Leafs’ all-time goal register.

BUFFALO SABRES (16-12-7 – 39 Points) vs.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (17-14-4 – 38 Points)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2019

 123OTFINAL
BUFFALO003–3
TORONTO122–5

GAME SUMMARY         |           EVENT SUMMARY        |           FACEOFF SUMMARY


ON THE SCORESHEET

  • Frederik Gauthier opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at 2:30 of the first period and later collected the secondary assist on Dmytro Timashov’s third period goal. Gauthier has goals (2) and points (2-1-3) in two consecutive games. Four (2-2-4) of his seven points this season have come against Atlantic Division teams. He has four career points (2 goals, 2 assists) against the Sabres, which is his highest point total against a single opponent.
  • Auston Matthews scored Toronto’s second goal of the night at 4:47 of the second period before adding the third Maple Leafs goal of the game at 17:39 of the second period. Tonight’s game is Matthews’ fifth multi-goal and 11th multi-point performance of the season. His goals stand as the 131st and 132nd of Matthews’ career, which moves past Doug Gilmour and Nick Metz for sole possession of 32nd on the Maple Leafs’ all-time goal register. Matthews’ first goal in tonight’s game was his 20th of the season, which makes him the second player in franchise history (Dave Keon – 1960-61 to 1965-66) to begin his career with four consecutive 20-goal season, per NHL Stats.
  • Dmytro Timashov scored the fourth Toronto goal of the night at 4:58 of the third period. Timashov has points (1-1-2) in two consecutive games. He has seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 10 games against Atlantic Division opposition this season.
  • Ilya Mikheyev scored the Maple Leafs’ fifth goal of the game into an empty net while shorthanded at 17:26 of the third period. Mikheyev has goals (2) in two consecutive games. His goal tonight is his first career shorthanded goal and the fifth shorthanded goal scored by the Maple Leafs in 2019-20.
  • Morgan Rielly registered the primary assist on Matthews’ first second period goal. Rielly has assists (2) in two consecutive games. His second period assist stands as his 20th assist of the season, giving him 20 assists in seven consecutive seasons to begin his NHL career. Per NHL Stats, Rielly is the second Maple Leafs defenceman (Borje Salming – 1973-74 to 1984-85) to begin his career with seven consecutive 20-assist seasons. He is tied for third among NHL defencemen in even-strength assists (14).
  • Mitch Marner collected the secondary assist on Matthews’ first second period goal. Marner has points (2-6-8) in five consecutive games. He has registered 13 of his 20 assists on home ice this season. Marner has seven assists in eight games against Atlantic Division teams.
  • William Nylander recorded the primary assist on Matthews’ second goal in the second period. He is tied for second on the Maple Leafs in primary assists (9). Nylander has 14 points (6-8-14) in 16 games on home ice this season. His 13 career points (4 goals, 9 assists) against the Sabres is his highest point total against a single opponent.
  • Tyson Barrie had the secondary assist on Matthews’ second goal in the second period and later had the primary assist on Timashov’s third period goal. Tonight’s game is his third multi-assist and fifth multi-point performance of the season. Barrie ranks second among Maple Leafs defencemen in assists (12). He has three assists over his last three games.
  • Frederik Andersen stopped 27 shots to earn his 17th win of the season.

SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
BUFFALO5 (5)10 (10)15 (11)–30 (26)
TORONTO11 (11)13 (9)9 (8)–33 (28)
      

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
BUFFALO14 (14)19 (19)21 (16)–54 (49)
TORONTO21 (21)19 (14)15 (13)–55 (48)

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Record at Home8-4-4 (16 Games)
All-Time Record vs. Buffalo83-105-18-11 (217 Games)
All-Time Record vs. Buffalo at Home:51-40-12-5 (108 Games)
Record vs. Eastern Conference8-9-4 (21 Games)
Record vs. Atlantic Division6-5-1 (12 Games)
Attendance19,365

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots6 (Barrie)
Shot Attempts9 (Tavares)
Faceoff Wins12 (Tavares)
Faceoff Win Percentage100% (Gauthier – 5 won, 0 lost;
Spezza, Marner – 1 won, 0 lost)
Hits5 (Muzzin)
Blocked Shots3 (Muzzin, Rielly)
Takeaways5 (Matthews)
TOI23:28 (Muzzin)
Power Play TOI1:41 (Five players tied)
Shorthanded TOI2:18 (Ceci)
Shifts26 (Muzzin)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage66.7% (Dermott – 12 for, 6 against)
  

RECORD WHEN…

Scoring first10-3-1
Lead after 18-2-1
Lead after 213-1-2
Do not score a power play goal7-10-2
Allow one power play goal6-6-3
Score shorthanded3-1-1
Outshooting opponent8-4-1
Tuesday4-3-1

OF NOTE…

  • The Maple Leafs went 1-for-2 on the penalty kill and went 0-for-1 on the power play tonight.
  • Frederik Gauthier was 2-for-2 (100%) when taking offensive zone faceoffs and 3-for-3 (100%) when taking defensive zone faceoffs.
  • Morgan Rielly was on the ice for a team-high 21 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5 tonight. Muzzin finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 51.2 percent (21 for, 20 against).
  • Morgan Rielly started 38.5 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which was the lowest mark among Toronto skaters.
  • John Tavares was 7-for-11 (64%) in the faceoff circle when matched up with Buffalo centre Jack Eichel.

UPCOMING GAMES:

  • Friday, December 20, 7:00 p.m. at New York Rangers (Sportsnet Ontario, FAN 590)
  • Saturday, December 21, 7:00 p.m. vs. Detroit Red Wings (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
  • Monday, December 23, 2:00 p.m. vs. Carolina Hurricanes (Sportsnet Ontario, FAN 590)
  • Friday, December 27, 7:00 p.m. at New Jersey Devils (Sportsnet Ontario, TSN 1050)
  • Saturday, December 28, 7:00 p.m. vs. New York Rangers (Sportsnet, Sportsnet 590 The FAN)

Stats reflect official NHL stats at the time of distribution. Please consult official NHL game sheets (links above) to confirm no statistical changes were made.