
2 – The Sabres displayed a sense of urgency
It was something we didn’t see on Friday night, as the Sabres let the Flyers take a big lead on them early and cruise to an easy win. But on Saturday, Buffalo was not letting that lead slip, as every time the Maple Leafs tied the game, the Blue and Gold immediately scored to put themselves back on top.
At the 12:05 mark, the Leafs struck first, only for JJ Peterka to cancel out that lead four minutes later. It was the only lead Toronto had, and from then on out, Buffalo forced them to play catch-up following Tage Thompson’s shorthanded goal.
Auston Matthews got hot and tried to answer the Sabres three times, but the Blue and Gold had their own respective answers 34 seconds, 2:54, and 5:22 afterward. The sense of urgency paid off late when Alex Tuch scored off of helpers from Rasmus Dahlin and Connor Clifton.
Now, the team MUST continue that sense of urgency as they head to Carolina this week. If they can, then perhaps the Blue and Gold finally push themselves over the 0.500 mark for the first time in 2023-24.