An Atlantic Division title and two individual milestones are up for grabs in the penultimate game of the regular season for the Maple Leafs tonight in Buffalo (7:00 p.m. EST, TSN4).
Game Day Quotes
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff on the message to his team ahead of a game with nothing on the line for his team and plenty on the line for the Leafs (the division title) as well as Mitch Marner (100 points) and Auston Matthews (400 goals):
Just stay in the moment. We want to win hockey games. We want to stay focused. We didn’t like our last game by any means. We need a response to the last game.
We have been able to keep that vision where it needs to be. We know that it means a lot to [the Leafs], but for us, it is about making sure we finish on the right note.
Ruff on the challenge of matching up against the Leafs:
They play hard. They do a good job of staying tight inside. They have good speed going up ice.
It is a good team to look at. They manage the puck well. They get it in behind you. There is not a lot of risk when it comes to giving up big opportunities because of mismanaging the puck. That is the quality of a lot of good teams.
Craig Berube on the Leafs‘ opportunity to clinch the Atlantic Division:
It is a good opportunity for the team and organization. We have to come out and be ready to go. This (Sabres) team is scoring a lot of goals lately and has high-end talent. We have to make sure we checking and making sure we are checking and playing the game right early on in the game because they start fast.
John Tavares on the opportunity to clinch the division:
We don’t really try to approach things much differently. It is obviously a great opportunity. It has been really close over the last couple of games. It is a chance to take care of it ourselves today.
We just want to build on a lot of the good things we are doing. It was a good off-day to recharge after a difficult back-to-back. We gutted one out and got a big two points.
It is a great opportunity to do something that can set us up well.
Steven Lorentz on the chance to wrap up the division:
We have two games left, and we kind of want to just get it out of the way tonight. At the same time, we know these guys aren’t just going to roll over. They’re playing for jobs. There is stuff at stake for them, too.
It is going to be a good game. We are expecting a lot of Maple Leafs fans here. Hopefully, we can get their support.
Berube on keeping Max Domi on the left wing with John Tavares and William Nylander:
I moved him up for the speed. They were going up against the Aho line a lot (in Carolina), and I wanted a little more speed on the line. The line ended up scoring a couple of goals for us, but it’s his speed and playmaking ability. He made some nice plays; two nice plays where we scored goals off of it. I thought he did a good job.
Max is a versatile player for us. He plays center or wing. He provides speed and ability to make plays.
Tavares on the opportunity to play with Domi:
Max really starts to thrive at this time of year. He is a very intense guy and a tremendous playmaker. His game really starts to build and grow. He is a factor for us all year, but certainly, I think he really enjoys the build-up to playoff hockey.
I haven’t played with him a ton throughout this season, so it is on Willy and me to build the chemistry and for us to make things happen with and without the puck.
Scott Laughton on Mitch Marner’s opportunity to reach 100 points for the first time in his career:
It is cool. 100 points is hard to hit.
He is a special talent. You see it up close every day how good he is with and without the puck. He is so good defensively. He plays everything for us — first penalty kill, first power play — and he is a really complete player. You see it from afar, but when you see it up close, it is cool. You want to learn from him.
Head-to-Head Stats: Maple Leafs (50-26-4) vs. Sabres (35-38-7)
In the 2024-25 regular season statistics, Buffalo holds the advantage in three out of five offensive categories, but Toronto holds the advantage in four out of five defensive categories.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#23 Matthew Knies — #34 Auston Matthews — #16 Mitch Marner
#11 Max Domi — #91 John Tavares — #88 William Nylander
#74 Bobby McMann — #29 Pontus Holmberg — #89 Nick Robertson
#18 Steven Lorentz — #24 Scott Laughton — #19 Calle Jarnkrok
Defensemen
#44 Morgan Rielly — #51 Philippe Myers
#2 Simon Benoit — #8 Chris Tanev
#36 Dakota Mermis — #25 Brandon Carlo
Goaltenders
Starter: #41 Anthony Stolarz
#60 Joseph Woll
Injured: Jake McCabe, David Kampf, Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Injured (LTIR): Jani Hakanpää, Max Pacioretty
Buffalo Sabres Projected Lines
Forwards
#9 Zach Benson — #20 Jiri Kulich — #72 Tage Thompson
#77 JJ Peterka — #71 Ryan McLeod — #89 Alex Tuch
#17 Jason Zucker — #19 Peyton Krebs — #22 Jack Quinn
#63 Isak Rosen — #36 Noah Ostlund — #81 Sam Lafferty
Defensemen
#23 Mattias Samuelsson — #26 Rasmus Dahlin
#4 Bowen Byram — #75 Connor Clifton
#78 Jacob Bryson — #24 Jacob Bernard-Docker
Goaltenders
Starter: #1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
#47 James Reimer
Injured: Josh Norris, Jordan Greenway, Owen Power, Beck Mallenstyn
