Sabres, Leafs led by U.S. stars
Matthews, Eichel have their teams battling for first
If NHL players are able to participate in the Olympics again one day, Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel will be at the forefront for the United States.
For now, the two will be centrepieces in the renewed rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres, as both clubs are good again.
Each has done well against the opposing team: Matthews has five goals and two assists in seven career games versus Buffalo while Eichel, the Sabres’ leading scorer, has six goals and five assists in nine career games verses Toronto. Here are five things to watch for when the Sabres host the Leafs on Tuesday in Buffalo:
Buffalo is back
We all figured the Sabres would take steps forward in 2018-19, considering their youth and depth. But to be among the teams, along with the Leafs, battling for first overall in the NHL early in December? Not a chance. Mike Babcock, not surprisingly, likes that Buffalo is a challenge once more. “They have done a good job, they have real good players and are an exciting team to watch,” Babcock said.
Skinner!!!
The Leafs have their goal machine in Matthews, who carries 13 goals in 13 games into the match. For the Sabres, it’s Jeff Skinner, who had 20 goals in 27 games before the team’s tilt with Nashville on Monday (and Skinner didn’t score in the Sabres’ first four games). Only Winnipeg ’s Patrik Laine, with 21 goals, had more. Skinner has just six goals in 24 career games against the Leafs, all with Carolina, but that won’t matter.
Hello, Rasmus
The Leafs will get their first look at defenceman Rasmus Dahlin, a franchise-type player who should be a headache for Toronto for years to come. While the Leafs will try to pressure the 18-year-old, it’s unlikely Dahlin gets rattled. Not only has the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NHL draft been one of the Sabres’ best possession players at five-on-five (51.2 per cent), he had 14 points in 27 games prior to Monday. Dahlin is fun to watch.
Kapanen a road warrior
Kasperi Kapanen, in all likelihood, will be bumped down the lineup once William Nylander returns, but it won’t be because Kapanen has done anything wrong. The 22-year-old has been burning opposing defencemen with his speed, and that should be a factor in his favour again in Buffalo. Of Kapanen’s 18 points, 13 have come on the road. Kapanen doesn’t have a point in five career games against the Sabres, but there’s a good chance that changes.
Rest crucial
The Leafs? Rested. The Sabres? Not so much, certainly not after playing against the bruising Predators in Nashville on Monday night. So it’s on the shoulders of the Leafs to start on time, though that has not necessarily been a problem on the road. The Sabres are a difficult team to put away, considering they had five wins when trailing after the second period, the secondmost in the NHL prior to games on Monday.