Buffalo Sabres: 3 bold predictions for the Heritage Classic
The Buffalo Sabres will face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2022 Heritage Classic
It’s been a trying season for the Buffalo Sabres, who once again find themselves at the bottom of the barrel. Meanwhile their division rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs, are in the thick of the playoff race.
But that doesn’t mean the Sabres won’t be competitive in this one. Just two weeks ago, they pulled off a massive upset over the Leafs in a 5-1 thrashing.
Things have changed quickly across the NHL landscape. The Sabres are riding high following an upset win over Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights. The Maple Leafs are reeling, coming off of a 5-4 upset loss to the Arizona Coyotes.
So what can you expect when the Sabres treat themselves to some outdoor hockey? Keep reading.
Jacob Bryson takes advantage
The Sabres are likely going to go without Casey Fitzgerald. So Jacob Bryson is projected to line up on the second defensive pairing. Bryson is the least talked about Sabres defenseman aged 25 or under, but he saw some success earlier in the month versus Toronto.
So expect him to take advantage and provide at least a physical presence for the Sabres in Fitzgerald’s absence. Bryson logged three hits in the win over Vegas, so let’s get bold and project four hits in this one.
Bryson also scored a goal against Toronto on March 2nd and this time around, he’ll score again, which will give him just his second on the season. He saw time on the first pairing with Dahlin in the Sabres victory over the Leafs earlier in the month and he took advantage when filling in for the injured Henri Jokiharju. Look for a repeat performance from Bryson.
It’s Tuch’s time now
Before his game-sealing goal against the Vegas Golden Knights, Alex Tuch had a quiet last few games. And for a minute, it looked like Tuch was going to miss extended time when he ran into the goalpost last week against the Los Angeles Kings. But, everything checked out okay and Tuch was raring to go by the next game.
Now that Tuch took care of his three-game pointless streak, he’s taking multiple points against the Maple Leafs. On March 2nd, he logged an assist. On Sunday, he’s logging both a point and two assists. And this time, Tuch’s not just scoring on an empty-netter, but a go-ahead goal late in the third period.
Look for Tuch’s assists to be a key benefactor on the Sabres scoring lines, where he’ll contribute on assist to both Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson. Both of whom logged points during the Sabres last meeting with the Maple Leafs.
Sabres win this one by one
I don’t often pick winners in these bold prediction articles, but ironically, this is a potential trap game for the Sabres. The Leafs are coming off of a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes and the Sabres just celebrated a revenge win against Vegas.
The Leafs have much more to lose here, and you can bet they will come out firing in this one. Don’t be surprised if they outshoot the Sabres in the first period by at least ten goals – not a bold prediction. This happens often.
But look for the Sabres to realize they’re playing this one on national television and they’d prefer not to get embarrassed in their biggest game of the season. They will ride that motivation with goals from Tuch, Skinner, Thompson, and Bryson, edging out the Leafs in a nail-biting 4-3 win.
Then, it’s pack ’em up and onto Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver time for a road trip north of the border. And they will take some momentum with them.