The Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Buffalo Sabres in the first of a two-game home-and-home at KeyBank Center on Friday, which normally would be the center of attention for sports fans in a sizable chunk of the province of Ontario, but the QEW back-to-back will be less impactful with most eyes affixed to the Rogers Centre for Games 1 and 2 of the World Series.
The news from Buffalo before the morning skate was the scrambling of forward lines due to ineffectiveness, and the defensive pairings due to the injury of Chris Tanev. On Friday, head coach Craig Berube revealed that Morgan Rielly will not play. The longest-serving Leaf did take part in the optional skate, and Berube did not rule him out for Saturday, but the club goes into the game against the Sabres with no line or pairing affected by changes.
Berube has followed the ‘all the eggs in one basket’ scenario and has reunited Auston Matthews and William Nylander on the top line with Bobby McMann. Matthew Knies has slid down to the second line with John Tavares and Matias Maccelli. Rookie Easton Cowan replaces Nick Robertson in the lineup alongside Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy, and Max Domi centers the fourth line with Steven Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok.
On the blueline, Jake McCabe has been reunited with Simon Benoit, Oliver Ekman-Larsson skated with Philippe Myers at the optional, and call-up Dakota Mermis likely steps in with Brandon Carlo. Ekman-Larsson is expected to quarterback the first power play in Rielly’s place.
Anthony Stolarz was in the visitor’s net at KeyBank Center, which means that backup Cayden Primeau will go at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday afternoon. Robertson’s being scratched did not seem to be permanent, as Berube is likely looking for a spark after Toronto’s mundane 3-3-1 start.
OCTOBER 24, 2025 ▪ 7:00 PM EST ▪ KEYBANK CENTER (BUFFALO, NY)
TV: SPORTSNET ONTARIO ▪ RADIO: SPORTSNET 590
MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY vs. BUFFALO SABRES
| All-Time Record: | 91-112-18-11 (232 Games) |
| All-Time Road Record: | 37-68-6-6 (117 Games) |
| 2024-25: | 3-0-0 |
| Last Five: | 5-0-0 |
| Last 10: | 7-3-0 |
| First Matchup Between Clubs: | November 18, 1970 (Toronto 2 vs. Buffalo 7) |
| All-Time Record: | 91-112-18-11 (232 Games) |
| All-Time Home Record: | 54-44-12-5 (115 Games) |
| All-Time Road Record: | 37-68-6-6 (117 Games) |
| Last Road Win vs. Opponent: | April 15, 2025 (Toronto 4 at Buffalo 0) |
MAPLE LEAFS / SABRES – 2025-26 TEAM STATS
| TORONTO | BUFFALO | |
| Goals For Per Game: | 3.43 (10th) | 2.71 (23rd-T) |
| Goals Against Per Game: | 3.57 (25th-T) | 2.86 (14th) |
| Power Play %: | 12.5 (28th-T) | 25.0 (9th) |
| Penalty Kill %: | 79.0 (14th) | 96.2 (2nd) |
| Shots For Per Game: | 28.1 (19th) | 29.7 (9th) |
| Shots Against Per Game: | 29.0 (19th) | 33.1 (31st) |
| Faceoff %: | 54.3 (4th) | 42.9 (31st) |
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