>LEAFS AT SABRES
Monday night’s 5-3 loss in Buffalo wrapped up an ugly four-game road trip for the Leafs.
The road was very unkind to the Maple Leafs this past week.
Toronto lost all four games away from home, wrapping up their road trip from hell with a 5-3 loss to the Sabres in Buffalo on Monday night, in which four goals bounced off a skate.
The lone bright spot for the Leafs was two goals from an unlikely source: Leo Komarov, who had just one in his previous 32 games.
Toronto fell behind on a power-play goal by Sam Reinhart in the first two minutes of the game, and Jason Pominville scored 1:50 later to put Toronto in a two-goal hole.
Komarov’s second— on a nice give-and-go with Matt Martin, in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for 18 straight games — tied it up and the Leafs looked like they had found their game. But Zemgus Girgensons and Ryan O’Reilly struck quickly for the Sabres near the end of the second period and the Leafs never recovered.
Every one of Buffalo’s first four goals bounced off a skate. On O’Reilly’s goal, the puck hit the referee’s skate and caromed right back to him.
Johan Larsson put Buffalo up 5-2 on a goal the Leafs challenged for goalie interference. The call on the ice stood, even though replays clearly showed Larsson’s skate clipped Frede- rik Andersen’s and upended the Leafs goalie. Leafs coach Mike Babcock was livid and could be seen getting after the on-ice officials.
Andersen couldn’t be blamed for the bad bounces, but he’s let in three goals or more in five straight games, and five in each of the last two. Toronto has also allowed 30 or more shots in 50 of 68 games this season, and Andersen has been in goal for 40 of those. Fatigue could be an issue for the netminder down the stretch.
The Leafs have slipped offensively and defensively after winning 13 of 15 before the road swing.
Big Buffalo defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen continued his robust play, hitting Nazem Kadri from behind in the second period and fighting the Leafs centre shortly afterwards. Ristolainen and Kadri then chirped each other in the penalty box, reminding each other that the teams will meet three more times in the regular season. Ristolainen has history with the Leafs. He fought Auston Matthews and James van Riemsdyk last season, and always brings a physical game when the clubs square off.
The Leafs missed a chance to reach 40 wins faster than any season in their history.