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GAMEDAY: Sabres at Maple Leafs
Terry KoshanMore from Terry Koshan
GAMEDAY: Sabres at Maple Leafs
BUFFALO SABRES (29-24-8) at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (37-20-4)
7 p.m., Scotiabank Arena, TSN, TSN Radio 1050
BIG MATCHUP
Jeff Skinner vs. Mitch Marner
Two of the most prolific wingers in the game in 2018-19, Jeff Skinner and Mitch Marner could see a lot of each other if Mike Babcock matches the John Tavares line against the Jack Eichel trio. Skinner is one goal shy of his career-high of 37, done two seasons ago with the Carolina Hurricanes, while Marner has topped 70 points for the first time in three NHL seasons. If the game is tight in the latter stages, both Skinner and Marner can produce the deciding factor with one play. Marner has four game-winning goals, while Skinner has seven.
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Depth at centre
Even with Nazem Kadri nursing a concussion, the Maple Leafs are strong down the middle, whether it’s William Nylander or Patrick Marleau lining up for draws on the third line. The Sabres don’t have many centre threats after Jack Eichel on the top line, and were 21st in faceoff percentage at 49.1%. Only the Philadelphia Flyers, at 55.8% prior to games on Sunday, were better than the Leafs, who sat second in the NHL at 52.7%. John Tavares is among the top centres in the game with a faceoff success rate of 54.6%. Control off the faceoff should help against a Sabres team that is below 50% in possession.
2. The Eichel effect
Much like the way Auston Matthews has lit up the Sabres in his brief career (seven goals in eight games), Eichel has done the same to the Leafs, scoring eight goals in 10 games. Eichel has played more games against 10 other NHL clubs, but has beaten Leafs goalies more than any others. Eichel is going to be a factor — he has averaged five shots on goal a game against Toronto — and it’s on the Leafs to determine the degree. The trouble with Eichel is the same with all cerebral players: He needs little space to produce.
3. Edge in net
While probable Sabres starting goalie Carter Hutton has never lost to the Leafs, going 3-0-0, the calm, cool and collected Frederik Andersen has been the Leafs’ backbone and has put up fine numbers against the Sabres, going 8-3-0 in 12 career games and posting a .916 save percentage. The Sabres are bound to come with some energy, as they usually do against the Leafs, and Andersen will have to be on his toes in the initial stages. As we saw against Montreal on Saturday, however, Andersen doesn’t get unnerved when teams are successful in the early going.
4. Puck movement
The Leafs scored on both of their power plays in a 6-3 win against Montreal, partially because they made quick decisions with the puck, making it difficult for the Canadiens to get proper positioning. Similar tactics will be required (provided the Leafs get power plays) against a Buffalo club that is among the NHL’s best in penalty killing. Zach Bogosian and Johan Larsson are key players when Buffalo is a man short, though the Sabres don’t try for offence much while shorthanded, scoring just two goals.
5. Erase the first zeroes
While the Leafs have found some footing after losing a season-high three in a row, the Sabres have tumbled out of playoff contention after winning 10 in a row in November. Since that streak ended, Buffalo has won just 12 of its 36 games and only a minor miracle will get it back into a post-season berth. The Leafs have been starting slow lately, with no goals in each of their past four first periods. A better start for Toronto could work well against a Sabres team that has scored 52 first-period goals, 19th in the NHL.
MAPLE LEAFS LINES
LW-C-RW
Zach Hyman-John Tavares-Mitch Marner
Andreas Johnsson-Auston Matthews-Kasperi Kapanen
Patrick Marleau-William Nylander-Connor Brown
Par Lindholm-Frederik Gauthier-Tyler Ennis
Defence pairs
Morgan Rielly-Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner-Nikita Zaitsev
Jake Muzzin-Travis Dermott
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen
Garret Sparks
SABRES LINES
LW-C-RW
Jeff Skinner-Jack Eichel-Jason Pominville
Conor Sheary-Evan Rodrigues-Sam Reinhart
Tage Thompson-Vladimir Sobotka-Daniel O’Regan
Scott Wilson-Johan Larsson-Zemgus Girgensons
Defence pairs
Jake McCabe-Rasmus Ristolainen
Rasmus Dahlin-Zach Bogosian
Nathan Beaulieu-Matt Hunwick
Goaltenders
Carter Hutton
Linus Ullmark
INJURIES
Sabres — RW Kyle Okposo (concussion), C Casey Mittelstadt (illness), D Marco Scandella (upper body).
Maple Leafs — C Nazem Kadri (concussion).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power play
Sabres: 17.9% (19th)
Maple Leafs: 21.9% (10th)
Penalty kill
Sabres: 82.7% (5th)
Maple Leafs: 81% (11th)&
Monday NHL game preview: Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs
By Mark ZwolinskiSports Reporter
Sun., Feb. 24, 2019
SCOTIABANK ARENA
FACEOFF: 7 p.m.
Monday NHL game preview: Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs | The Star
/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/sports/leafs/2019/02/24/monday-nhl-game-preview-buffalo-sabres-at-toronto-maple-leafs/eichel.jpg)
Buffalo centre Jack Eichel has a career-high 66 points. (Jeff McIntosh / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
TV: TSN
RADIO: TSN 1050
KEY PLAYERS
Eichel/Matthews
An always popular matchup of two of the top American-born players in the game. Buffalo’s Jack Eichel had two assists in a 5-2 win over Washington to set a new career high of 66 points. Auston Matthews is one goal shy of 30 and is skating better than he has all season long. Both players are relied on heavily to drive their clubs into the playoffs.
NEED TO KNOW
Buffalo got a jump on the trade deadline, sending defenceman Brendan Guhle and a 2019 first round pick to Anaheim on Sunday for veteran defenceman Brandon Montour ... The win over Washington snapped a four-game losing skid for the Sabres. But that four game slide was damaging: Buffalo slipped behind in the wild card race — they are six points behind Pittsburgh and Carolina and seven points behind Montreal for the two available wild-card spots … The Sabres got a scare when top scorer Jeff Skinner went down with an apparent left leg injury against Washington. Skinner couldn’t put any weight on the leg when he fell five minutes into the second period, but he returned to start the third … Winger Kyle Okposo says he is feeling fine — and is skating with the team — after suffering a concussion two weeks ago. Okposo has had three concussions in less than three years.
UP NEXT Wednesday vs. Edmonton, 7 p.m.
