For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to stay on the successful path in the first of a home-and-home series against the Buffalo Sabres at Key Bank Center on Friday afternoon. That has historically been a difficult task against their Atlantic Division rival, but the Leafs have won five straight against their closest geographical rival. The club has won three straight under Sheldon Keefe and is coming off the 6-0 thrashing of Detroit on Wednesday, but will get a challenge from the Sabres, who always get up for games against Toronto with their fans driving down the QEW in large numbers. After going 9-2-2 in October, the Sabres have lost 10 of their last dozen games (2-8-2) in November. To further distance themselves from the tendencies of former coach Mike Babcock, head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated on Thursday that backup goalie Michael Hutchinson would be getting the start in front of a rested team in the first of back-to-back games, while Frederik Andersen would get an extra day off and play the rematch of the two clubs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. Hutchinson went 0-4-1, with a 4.44 GAA and .879 save percentage before being demoted earlier this month, but all of his starts were at the back end of consecutive games. “I think every start (Hutchinson) had was on a back-to-back. We've got fresh legs now and we're going to be a rested team and a focused team in front of him, so we'll give it another shot.… defenseman Tyson Barrie said.
NHL Sense or Nonsense: Scrambling For Help As NHL Trade Season Arrives ... by @MikeInBuffalo https://t.co/82OqnJQXO9 pic.twitter.com/p7z1bjGbb8
— Mark Easson (@myNHLTradeRumor) November 29, 2019
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— The Leafs Convo (@TheLeafsConvo) November 25, 2019