Despite getting chances to end the game in overtime, Buffalo loses to Toronto

For the first game of Week 21, the Buffalo Sabres had a back-to-back. They were looking to rebound after losing to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night as they would be taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto. On a trade where there was tons of activity in the league before the NHL trade deadline, the Sabres sent Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram.

The first period was uneventful. Buffalo didn't get their first shot on goal until the last few minutes of the period. In the second period, we finally had scoring. William Nylander gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead as he was wide open in the slot and put the puck past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

A few minutes later, Buffalo tied the game up. Victor Olofsson, who hasn't scored a goal since December 7th, scored on a beautiful wrist shot and made it 1-1. Both teams were given chances on the power play but could not convert.

Despite some good chances from the Sabres at the end of the third, this game would need more than 60 minutes to determine a winner. It was one of those games where neither team dominated the other. Aside from the first 15 minutes of the first where Toronto didn't let Buffalo get a shot on goal, it was not one-sided.

After keeping Auston Matthews off the score sheet all game long, he scored his 54th goal of the season and gave the Maple Leafs the 2-1 victory. Buffalo got a point and had chances to win earlier on in overtime. but they left Toronto with just one point.

The Sabres will be right back at it tomorrow night as they will head down to Nashville for a meeting with the Predators with the puck dropping at 8 pm. With the team playing back-to-back on the road, I expect Eric Comrie to be in the net for Buffalo tomorrow.