When you combine brutal defensive play with brutal goaltending, you get games like this loss for the Leafs.

The Buffalo Sabres have individual goal songs, and the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to listen to as many as possible.

Jordan Greenway opened the scoring for the Sabres less than three minutes in, and the Sabres added two more before the first intermission. Auston Matthews and Max Domi also scored in the opening frame, but the Leafs simply couldn’t keep the puck out of their net. While Ilya Samsonov made a key breakaway save on Mattias Samuelsson, Buffalo’s first goal was weak, and it looked like it was only a matter of time until we saw Martin Jones. Little defence was played on either side.

. . .

Samsonov was pulled after surrendering five goals on 19 shots, and Jones allowed four goals in relief. The Sabres allowed nine goals against Columbus on Tuesday, and they found a way to score just as many against the Leafs.

Fans who made the trip across the border deserve a refund.

3 Stars:

  1. Auston Matthews
  2. William Nylander
  3. David Kämpf

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