The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to add to their league-leading home wins total on Sunday against the struggling Buffalo Sabres.
Both teams are coming off losses on the road on Saturday. The Maple Leafs dropped a 4-2 decision to the Detroit Red Wings, while the Sabres opened a three-game road trip with a 4-2 setback to the Washington Capitals to fall to 0-6-3 in their past nine games.
Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (lower body) will not play Sunday. Joseph Woll played Saturday and it is expected that Dennis Hildeby will play the third game of his NHL career on Sunday.
With Stolarz listed as day-to-day, Hildeby was recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.
Stolarz could return next week after leaving the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday following the first period.
“I do (expect him next week), but he’s got to get on the ice,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “It was good news overall. So let’s just leave it at that.”
Woll made 22 saves on Saturday.
Mitchell Marner had two assists with captain Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies each scoring a goal for Toronto.
“I thought we created a lot of offense, but they blocked a lot of shots,” Marner said. “They got into transition on us and made some great plays to score on us.”
“Got to finish better,” Berube said. “We can’t come out of the game with 25 shots on net only. Whether it’s missing the net, blocked, whatever the case, we’ve got to find a way to get those onto the net more. Defensively, we could have been better tonight.”
The Maple Leafs saw Bobby McMann (groin) return after he had missed seven games. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound McMann had no points and five shots on goal in 12:42 of playing time on Saturday. Berube was glad to have his presence in the lineup.
“His speed and his size, another power forward in our lineup,” Berube said. “You look at our left side with Knies, (Max) Pacioretty, McMann, I love the size and the power-forward type player, up and down the wings, banging bodies, going to the net.”
On Saturday, Jason Zucker and Jiri Kulich each scored a goal for the Sabres.
“We’ve got to learn how to be OK in a tie game, or in those one-goal games and continue to push,” Zucker said. “Right now we have a tendency, and typically when you’re on a losing streak you tend to do it a little bit more, trying to be safe and not lose a game rather than go take it and try to win.”
Zucker has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past six games.
It came down to special teams. Washington scored twice on three chances with the man advantage, while Buffalo was 0-for-2 on the power play.
“Special teams weren’t good enough,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “That was probably the biggest difference in the game.”
The third period was tight and shots on goal were limited with Washington having a 6-5 advantage.
“I think both teams were defending well,” Ruff said. “Both teams were paying attention just thinking we’re not going to give up the stuff we did in the second period.”
Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (back spasms) missed his fifth consecutive game.
Sam Lafferty (lower body) missed a seventh game Saturday but could return against the Maple Leafs.
–Field Level Media
