The Buffalo Sabres went scoreless on six powerplay opportunities in a 3-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Ilya Samsonov, the Maple Leafs’ goaltender, was brilliant, stopping all 34 Sabres shots. To add salt to the wound, Toronto fans crowded the KeyBank Center stands, forming a crowd predominantly loyal to the Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs scored once in each period, with John Tavares kicking things off in the first. He was left open in the slot and scored cleanly with his wrister against Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Nicholas Robertson scored on a breakaway in the second session, slipping by Buffalo’s defense in transition.
The final goal was significant, as Auston Matthews scored his 60th goal of the season. The large Leafs contingent gave their star player a standing ovation, with several hats hitting the ice and an M-V-P chant resonating throughout the arena.
It’s Matthews’ second 60-goal season, giving him the ninth player in NHL history to accomplish it.
Impact Players
Samsonov remained composed and collected throughout the game. He has gone a long way this season. He struggled early in his Leafs career and was sent to the AHL. His recall was forced by injury, and he has since reestablished himself as the starter.
According to Evolving-Hockey, Samsonov saved 3.62 more goals than projected. That’s a tremendous one-game total for the Maple Leafs, but the Sabres have had plenty of strong goaltending this season.
The Sabres had plenty of players with chances. Most notably, JJ Peterka and Dylan Cozens squandered golden opportunities when Samsonov appeared to be defeated.
Buffalo’s top scorers had and gave up plenty of opportunities, so it will be fascinating to watch how they rank in tomorrow’s Sabres Grades.
The Difference
The Sabres’ powerplay was terrible. Going 0-for-6 against the NHL’s eighth-worst penalty kill is hardly a prescription for success.
To make matters worse, the coaching staff did nothing new during the game. There were no changes to personnel or appearances.
“It’s frustrating when you’ve had the opportunities and they don’t go,” head coach Don Granato said.
This season, Alex Tuch took a more direct approach to the power play.
“It sucks, honestly. Throughout the year, I could have performed better. All five of us have to improve. There are no excuses; we must score when we have the opportunity.
What’s next?
The Sabres will face the Washington Capitals on Tuesday to resume their homestand. It’s a game against a playoff-bound team that could have meant a lot more with a few more wins. The Capitals have climbed the standings and are now third in the Metropolitan Division.
