NHL Odds, Preview, Expert Prediction: Maple Leafs vs. Sabres (February 21)

Maple Leafs vs. Sabres Odds

The Buffalo Sabres won the last two games of their road trip and hope to carry that momentum into Tuesday night's contest against their rivals from across the border, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto has added a key acquisition in Ryan O'Reilly, but is coming off of a letdown game, looking to get back in the win column. The Leafs have struggled on the road as of late, going 1-4 in their last five away games and this is a great spot for Buffalo as a home underdog.

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Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs are coming off of a frustrating loss on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks, falling by the score of 5-3. The Leafs haven't necessarily played against the toughest opponents lately; their last five games have featured two games each against the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets, then one game against the Montreal Canadiens. They are in for a much tougher challenge tonight.

Toronto has played OK hockey of late, going 6-4-0 in its last 10 games. William Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares have been carrying the Leafs in this recent stretch and they are going to need the four of these guys to produce against a high-flying Buffalo offense.

They will be playing their third game in four nights so we might see a bit of a tired group of skaters, but Ilya Samsonov is expected to get the nod in goal. He's had a great season, entering this contest with a 19-7-2 record along with a .915 save percentage and a 2.38 goals against average. He didn't have his best performance in Chicago, allowing four goals against 27 shots, so he's looking for a strong bounce-back game.

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are pushing to get into a playoff position and they have been able to rely on their offensive production all season. They have scored 11 goals in their last two games and they come into this contest with the third-highest scoring offense in the league, averaging 3.70 goals per game.

The Sabres' first line has been one of the most impressive lines in all of hockey this season. This line consists of Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch, who have been phenomenal in their last 10 games. In this span, Skinner has tallied three goals with six assists, while Thompson and Tuch have both added four goals and seven assists of their own.

The biggest concern for Buffalo is its goaltending and it is uncertain right now which goalie will be starting this game. Ukko-Pekka Luukonen has played the majority of the games, entering this contest with a 14-7-2 record, but a .898 save percentage and a 3.41 goals against average. Craig Anderson will most likely get the nod tonight, he boasts a 8-7-2 record with a .914 save percentage and a 2.86 goals against average.

The Sabres definitely need to tighten things up defensively tonight.

Maple Leafs vs. Sabres Pick

The Sabres need to start piling up the wins to climb the standings and this feels like a game that could be a massive statement for them. Dating back to last season, the Sabres have won three of the last five meetings between these two teams so the Leafs aren't a team that scares them.

Toronto has played a ton of hockey as of late and the opponents have not been very strong, so this will be a transition going up against a team as good as Buffalo.

The Sabres have gone 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and enter this game winning their last two in a row. I like them to keep the momentum going.

Pick: Sabres +125 or Better

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