For the Toronto Maple Leafs to get past the first round for the first time in 15 years, they will need their star talent to rise to the occasion. With the club struggling and losing four of their last five games, the Leafs big guns made the difference in a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres at Key Bank Center on Wednesday.
Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman scored for Toronto and Garret Sparks made 22 saves for the win, giving the Leafs their first series sweep over Buffalo in the 49-year history of the rivalry.
Toronto bucked their usual trend of starting slowly and dominated the first period, outshooting the Sabres 19-7, but could not convert on two power plays and was stymied by goalie Carter Hutton. In spite of being outplayed, it was Buffalo who took the lead on Casey Mittelstadt’s power-play goal.
The Leafs took command in the middle frame on a bit of good fortune, tying the game as Andreas Johnsson’s centering pass went off the skate of Matthews for his 35th goal of the season, taking the lead late in the period as William Nylander’s shot hit iron and dropped in front of an open net for Tavares to cash in his 41st of the year, and adding to that lead 22 seconds into the third, as Marner’s shot banked off the boot of Sabres blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen.
Matthews led the Leafs with seven shots on goal and put forth a dominant performance, after struggling for long stretches following his return from a shoulder injury.
“I thought (Matthews) was real good. I thought we had lots of real good players tonight, though.” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said after the game. “We had lots of good players tonight and we had lots of guys jumping around from the get-go. Obviously, it's an important win for us. You want to get back on track, it hadn't gone as good here this last while as we'd like to.”
The only concern is that for as much as Toronto dominated the contest, Buffalo remained in the game and narrowed the lead to 3-2 on Alex Nylander’s goal early in the third. It took Hyman’s empty netter to insure victory. With eight games left, the Leafs trail Boston by four points for second place in the Atlantic. The Bruins have a game in hand and play in New Jersey on Thursday.
#Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton (40) makes a save on a shot from Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Andreas Johnsson (18) in the second period at the Key Bank Center in Buffalo, NY on Wednesday, March 20, 2019. James P. McCoy/@TheBuffaloNewspic.twitter.com/IpjvfhdMVX
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