The Toronto Maple Leafs will hope to rebound from a sluggish finish to an early-season homestand as they go to the Buffalo Sabres for the primary half of a weekend back-to-back on Friday evening.
The Leafs are smarting from a 5-2 loss by the hands of former head coach Sheldon Keefe and the New Jersey Devils, leaving them firmly within the Atlantic Division’s mushy center. Toronto surrendered 4 of the 5 objectives within the second interval.
“I simply do not assume we’re managing the sport the best way that we have to — simply the best way we have to make investments shift after shift, carrying opponents down,” alternate captain John Tavares mentioned after the sport.
With Joseph Woll on an indefinite depart of absence, goaltender Anthony Stolarz has been left between the pipes on all however one event up to now. The netminder has been slightly outspoken about his protection’s wrestle to guard the crease early on.
In a play startlingly just like Vince Dunn’s purpose in opposition to the Leafs on Oct. 18, defenseman Chris Tanev pushed Devils winger Ondrej Palat into Stolarz as Jack Hughes’ wrist shot sailed into the online. Head coach Craig Berube unsuccessfully challenged what was the primary of three unanswered New Jersey objectives over the course of three and a half minutes.
“I used to be sort of combating for the puck,” Stolarz mentioned. “I sort of did not know who hit me or who bumped me.”
The outcome marked Toronto’s second consecutive loss after they fell to the Seattle Kraken final Saturday. The Leafs dropped their solely away sport up to now this season after they fell 6-3 to the Detroit Crimson Wings on Oct. 11.
The Sabres may have the chance to leapfrog them within the standings after a 4-2 win over the Crimson Wings on Wednesday evening. Goaltender Colten Ellis, whom Buffalo claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Blues earlier within the month, stopped 27 of 29 pictures in his NHL debut.
“It was simply 25 years to sort of get thus far,” Ellis mentioned in an interview with TNT after the sport. “To sort of understand my dream tonight and get a win and two factors for the staff, it is fairly unbelievable.”
The Sabres will hope for one more optimistic efficiency out of 24-year-old ahead Jack Quinn, who shares the staff lead in factors after seven video games performed with children Josh Doan and Zach Benson. It was Quinn who scored the go-ahead purpose and added two assists to tie his profession excessive with a three-point efficiency.
“The largest factor I am making an attempt to concentrate on is getting myself appears and taking part in on the within, getting these pictures,” Quinn mentioned.
After blasting eight objectives previous the Ottawa Senators and blanking the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, the Sabres have now gained three of their final 4 video games.
The groups’ Friday and Saturday clashes have been rescheduled in order to accommodate the Toronto Blue Jays within the World Sequence. Friday evening’s sport in Buffalo will start at 7 p.m. ET as an alternative of the unique 7:30.
Toronto defenseman Chris Tanev has been positioned on injured reserve after an upper-body harm in opposition to the Devils, whereas Scott Laughton has reportedly resumed skating. Buffalo’s Jason Zucker is a query mark after exiting the sport in opposition to Detroit within the second interval.
–Subject Stage Media