[7:00 PM] Maple Leafs @ Sabres

Who will WIN this matchup?

Toronto Maple Leafs (3-4-3)

@ Buffalo Sabres (4-3-2)

 

Starting Goalies:

Frederik Andersen(TOR): Confirmed

Robin Lehner(BUF): Confirmed

 

Current odds:

Toronto Maple Leafs: (-110)

Buffalo Sabres: (-110)

 

• The Buffalo Sabres are enjoying the sweet taste of a three-game winning streak while the Toronto Maple Leafs have yet to savor the flavor of one victory on the road this season. The Sabres look to continue their good fortune of late and record their eighth straight home victory over the Maple Leafs on Thursday when the Atlantic Division rivals battle at KeyBank Center.

• While Matthews came into the league with significant fanfare, linemate William Nylander enjoyed his own party by being named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for October after leading all rookies with seven assists and 11 points. The fourth overall pick of the 2014 draft, Nylander scored and set up a goal in a 4-1 win over Buffalo on March 19 as part of his 22-game stay with Toronto last season. Netminder Frederik Andersen has brushed off a brutal start to the 2016-17 campaign in which he yielded 22 goals in his first five outings by surrendering just six on 108 shots to post a 2-1-0 mark over his last three.

• Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson have been remarkably consistent against Toronto, as the former has recorded 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in as many career contests while the latter has 25 – including 16 goals – in 28 games. Johan Larsson is following on that path, albeit with a smaller sample size with three goals and three assists in six contests versus the Maple Leafs. The 24-year-old Swede, who tallied twice in the last encounter – a 4-1 victory on March 31 – scored the winning goal in a 2-1 win over Minnesota on Tuesday.

• Toronto LW James van Riemsdyk has followed a three-game goal-scoring streak with a minus-5 rating in his last three outings.

• Sabres G Robin Lehner has stopped 64 of 66 shots to win his last two contests overall and made 26 saves in a shutout his last meeting with the Maple Leafs.

• Three of the last six encounters between the teams have gone to a shootout, with Buffalo winning two of them.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs

Confidence: 5/10

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