Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres

Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres

7:00PM - First Niagra Center

TV: TSN4 - RADIO: Sportsnet 590

SBN: Die by the Blade

Head to Head

Copying Die by the Blade's Two Questions format!

(1) How many fights will break out in the crowd?

Lots and lots. As Gary Bettman explained at length in his emails, people go to hockey games to watch and take part in fisticuffs, not some "game" involving a "puck" on "ice." I mean, not all of us can chat with Nigerian Princes to pass the time.

(2) Now that Dion Phaneuf isn't a Leaf, who do they hate the most?

I'm banking on Nazem "so many penalties the refs have stopped calling them" Kadri. According to this Sportsnet article, Kadri's method is simply to be "fast," although Brooks Laich says that hmm, it's probably because he's a shit-disturber:

"Guys that don’t give up on pucks, move their legs, drive through a check and make the other guy pull or tug or trip, just for a second, just because of the extreme work ethic," Laich says. "The other guys are agitators who can get under your skin and make you lose control of your emotions for a second and take a rough or a cheap shot."Draw a Venn diagram of those players, and Kadri plops right in the shady middle: shifty and a disturber.

"Naz—very slippery guy," says Laich. "He can draw a lot of penalties that way."

(3) Since this is their first (of many) meeting(s), whose hair is more fabulous, Eichel or Nylander?

I'm sure opinions on this one vary, but I'm extremely excited to see how this battle of skill (and hair) plays out on the ice.

(4) Welcome to the lineup, Soupy!

Cool things from the game notes

• Brad Boyes played in 86 games over two seasons (2010-12) with the Sabres, collecting 37 points (13 goals, 24 assists) and 12 penalty minutes.
• Peter Holland made his Maple Leafs debut against Buffalo on November 16, 2013.
• Matt Hunwick made his NHL debut against the Sabres on November 10, 2007 as a member of the Boston Bruins.
• Leo Komarov collected his first NHL point (an assist) on January 29, 2013 at Buffalo.
• Joffrey Lupul scored his first NHL goal on October 24, 2003 against the Sabres as a member of the Anaheim Ducks.
• Martin Marincin scored his first goal as a Maple Leaf on March 19, 2016 versus the Sabres.
• Michael Grabner scored his second career hat trick against the Sabres on February 13, 2011 as a member of the New York Islanders. He has collected 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 15 career games versus Buffalo.
• Milan Michalek scored his first goal as a Maple Leaf on March 19, 2016 against Buffalo.
• P.A. Parenteau has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 18 career games against Buffalo
• Morgan Rielly has seven points (one goal, six assists) in nine career meetings with the Sabres.

Leafs Lines

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Leafs PR ‏@LeafsPR 1m 1 minute ago
The @MapleLeafs have loaned Connor Brown, Connor Carrick, Zach Hyman and Rinat Valiev to the @TorontoMarlies. #TMLtalk

Leafs PR ‏@LeafsPR 1m 1 minute ago
The @MapleLeafs have recalled T.J. Brennan, Andrew Campbell, Kasperi Kapanen and Tobias Lindberg from the @TorontoMarlies. #TMLtalk

Michael Grabner - Nazem Kadri - Milan Michalek
Colin Greening - William Nylander - P.A. Parenteau
Tobias Lindberg - Tyler Bozak - Kasperi Kapanen
Brooks Laich - Byron Froese - Brad Boyes

Martin Marincin - Morgan Rielly
Jake Gardiner - Frank Corrado
Andrew Campbell - T.J. Brennan

Garret Sparks
Jonathan Bernier

You all are playing too well. Time to tank again.
by Sportsock on Mar 31, 2016 | 10:50 AMBuffalo Sabres Lines

Zemgus Girgensons – Ryan O'Reilly – Hudson Fasching
Nicolas Deslauriers – Jack Eichel – Sam Reinhart
Marcus Foligno – Johan Larsson – Brian Gionta
Cal O'Reilly – David Legwand – Matt Moulson

Josh Gorges – Rasmus Ristolainen
Jake McCabe – Zach Bogosian
Mark Pysyk – Casey Nelson

Chad Johnson
Nathan Lieuwen