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Leafs “Shoot” Down Sabres; Kadri Trade Talk Persists

January 16, 2014, 3:09 PM ET [1197 Comments]
Mike Augello
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Toronto Maple Leafs are doing their best to put their struggles following the Winter Classic behind them, as they used their mastery in the shootout to earn a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at Air Canada Center on Wednesday.

The Leafs extended their winning streak to three games and vaulted back into playoff position in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race with 53 points. The victory marked Toronto’s league leading ninth victory by way of the shootout and second straight shootout win over the Sabres in less than three weeks.

Phil Kessel, Nikolai Kulemin and rookie Morgan Rielly scored in regulation for Toronto, while Matt Ellis, Matt Moulson and Cody Hodgson scored for Buffalo. Goaltender Ryan Miller, in perhaps his last game against Toronto as a Sabre made 36 saves and withstood a withering Toronto assault with the man advantagein the final three minutes of overtime.

All three Toronto shooters; James van Riemsdyk, Joffrey Lupul and Tyler Bozak beat Miller in the shootout, while only Moulson scored past Toronto goalie James Reimer.

Reimer made 27 saves in his first win since December 19, but did not look sharp after sitting three games and fighting the flu bug that has taken it’s toll on the club in the last week. Reimer did not move an inch on Moulson’s go-ahead goal in the second and did not cover the short side effectively on Hodgson’s power play goal early in the third.

Toronto’s next action is Saturday, when they face the Montreal Canadiens at Air Canada Center before heading out on a four game Western/Midwestern road swing starting in Phoenix on Monday.

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TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Wednesday that Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri continues to draw interest from a number of teams and that there is a “strong chance” that he will be moved.

Trade rumors involving Kadri have been mostly media generated because of criticism from coach Randy Carlyle, the strong play of Peter Holland(acquired from Anaheim in mid-November) and his inability to match his nearly point-per-game production from last season.




Dreger indicates that GM Dave Nonis is willing to move the talented 23-year-old center and that one NHL club has offered a “decent” winger for Kadri, who has 11 goals and 16 assists in 45 games but has been in a prolonged slump, with one goal and four assists in the last 16 games.

"I have been told bluntly by Dave Nonis, he needs a center in return," Dreger said on TSN 1050’s Leafs Breakfast Thursday morning.

The need for a center in return for Kadri is understandable, with injured veteran Dave Bolland just starting to skate more than two months after suffering an ankle tendon laceration and Tyler Bozak spending two lengthy stints on injured reserve this season.

Leafs Center Dave Bolland skates gingerly at the ACC on Wednesday

Bolland is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and may be ready to return after the Olympic break, but it is uncertain how effective he will be following such a serious injury. The odds of Nonis being able to find a deal that will fulfill his needs before the March 5th trade deadline are slim, but Dreger believes that Kadri will be moved this year.

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