Sabres at Maple Leafs
The Buffalo Sabres visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday with losses in each of their last four games. The Maple Leafs aren't faring much better, going winless in their last three (0-2-1) and emerging victorious in one of their last six contests (1-4-1). The Atlantic Division rivals split the first two games of their season series with each recording a home triumph, but the Sabres haven’t won on the road against the Maple Leafs in five visits.
Matt Hackett made his first start since January in Saturday's 6-1 setback to Washington but was pulled after two periods, while Buffalo lost defensemen Andrej Meszaros and Zach Bogosian to injuries in the contest. Toronto has allowed at least four goals in each of its last five losses, including 10 over their last two home contests. The Sabres could use a game against a defensively challenged opponent to bolster their league-worst goal total (126).
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, MSG-Buffalo
ABOUT THE SABRES (19-42-5): Johan Larsson skated on the top scoring line with Matt Moulson and Tyler Ennis at practice Tuesday. Meszaros (head) and Bogosian (foot) are listed as day-to-day and could both return Wednesday. Buffalo’s other option in net is Anders Lindback, who is 0-2-0 since being acquired from Dallas.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (26-35-6): David Booth has scored in each of the last three contests following a 31-game goal drought. Petter Granberg was sent to the American Hockey League on Tuesday, leaving Toronto with five healthy defensemen, so another blue-liner could be recalled prior to Wednesday’s game. Peter Holland played a season-high 20:17 in Monday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders with Nazem Kadri serving as a healthy scratch.
OVERTIME
1. Toronto F Phil Kessel scored twice and added an assist in the previous two meetings with the Sabres.
2. Buffalo is a league-worst 7-24-2 on the road.
3. The Sabres and Maple Leafs wrap up their four-game season series on April 1 in Buffalo.