Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs Picks and Predictions December 20th 2024

Maple Leafs Look to Keep Momentum Rolling Against Struggling Sabres

The Toronto Maple Leafs aim to extend their winning streak to three games when they visit the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. Riding high after a strong showing in Dallas, Toronto looks to capitalize on Buffalo’s ongoing struggles in the second meeting between these Atlantic Division rivals in six days.

Maple Leafs Riding Hot Streak

Toronto is coming off a 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, marking their fourth win in their last five games. The Maple Leafs are now 15-0-1 this season when Bobby McMann scores, and the forward contributed another goal in the win. William Nylander led the charge with two goals, while Nicholas Robertson added a goal and an assist.

“(Joseph Woll) was standing on his head. He made a couple of huge saves there at the end,” Nylander said of the goaltender’s 36-save performance. “Just put the team on his back in these situations.”

Woll, who improved to 9-4-0 this season, has a 2.30 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. While he has struggled in two career games against Buffalo, Toronto’s potent offense has been more than capable of providing support. Nylander continues to shine, leading the team with 20 goals, while Mitch Marner’s 32 assists and 42 points pace the Maple Leafs overall.

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The Leafs also received standout performances in their last meeting with Buffalo, a 5-3 home victory on Sunday. John Tavares notched his 14th career hat trick in that game, supported by goals from Robertson and Max Domi.

Sabres Stuck in a Slump

Buffalo is enduring a nightmare stretch, with Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to Montreal marking their 11th straight defeat (0-8-3). The Sabres haven’t won since Nov. 23 and have been outscored 45-18 over their last 11 games.

“I think, as a man, we’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror and regroup,” forward Ryan McLeod said. “There’s lots of season left, and we’re still not that far out of it. We’ve just got to find a way to get a win next game.”

Dylan Cozens scored Buffalo’s lone goal against Montreal, but the team lacked energy despite a visit from owner Terry Pegula the day before.

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“No legs, no jump, no energy,” defenseman Connor Clifton admitted. “You’d think with the meeting yesterday and the 10-game losing streak, at least we’d have the legs and energy.”

Buffalo’s offensive leaders, Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, have combined for just 50 points this season, with Thompson’s 16 goals leading the team. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has struggled against Toronto in his career, going 0-3-1 with an .829 save percentage and a 4.36 GAA in four appearances.

Series Outlook

This is the second of three meetings between the Leafs and Sabres this season, with Toronto taking the first matchup 5-3. The final game of the series is set for April 15 in Buffalo. With the Sabres in freefall and the Maple Leafs finding their stride, Friday’s game presents an opportunity for Toronto to build on their momentum while Buffalo tries desperately to turn their season around.