Game day: Sabres at Maple Leafs

SCOTIABANK ARENA

FACEOFF: 7 p.m. TV: TSN RADIO: TSN 1050

KEY PLAYERS

Eichel/Matthews An always popular matchup of two of the top American-born players in the game. Buffalo’s Jack Eichel had two assists in a 5-2 win over Washington to set a new career high of 66 points. Auston Matthews is one goal shy of 30 and is skating better than he has all season long. Both players are relied on heavily to drive their clubs into the playoffs.

NEED TO KNOW

Buffalo got a jump on the trade deadline, sending defenceman Brendan Guhle and a 2019 first round pick to Anaheim on Sunday for veteran defenceman Brandon Montour ... The win over Washington snapped a four-game losing skid for the Sabres. But that four game slide was damaging: Buffalo slipped behind in the wild card race — they are six points behind Pittsburgh and Carolina and seven points behind Montreal for the two available wild-card spots … The Sabres got a scare when top scorer Jeff Skinner went down with an apparent left leg injury against Washington. Skinner couldn’t put any weight on the leg when he fell five minutes into the second period, but he returned to start the third … Winger Kyle Okposo says he is feeling fine — and is skating with the team — after suffering a concussion two weeks ago. Okposo has had three concussions in less than three years.

UP NEXT

Wednesday vs. Edmonton, 7 p.m. Mark Zwolinski