3 – Sabres force Maple Leafs to try and beat them at 5-on-5…and win
Last year, the Sabres lost the season series to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that’s just not going to cut it for a team that has historically had the upper-hand overall. Therefore, the Blue and Gold will skate into Toronto and immediately find a way to inconvenience the Leafs, and the best way to beat one of the NHL’s best teams is to keep them at 5-on-5.
While Toronto’s xGF sits at 18.5, and nearly three goals above the league average, their aGF is just 14, which sits one below. This means they probably have a great power play. While the Sabres PK unit can cancel out the Leafs big-time power play, the Sabres 5-on-5 game has been king when it comes to scoring goals, posting a 9.4 shooting percentage, and a 21 aGF – both above the league average.
And yep, the Buffalo Sabres won’t just force the Leafs into playing them at 5-on-5, they will also edge them out. This would prove to be especially true if, presumably, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s, hot streak is still alive and well.
(Statistics and data provided by Hockey-Reference)