A much-needed win for tonight’s game is a bit of an understatement. The Sabres will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that just defeated them 5-3 on Saturday. This time, the game will be played at the First Niagara Center.
This will be the 6th and final meeting between the teams. The home team has won every game, and the Sabres will look to continue that trend. Thanks to a Tampa Bay victory over Washington last night, the Sabres remain just two points behind the Capitals for 8th place in the Eastern Conference.
Buffalo do have a game in hand, tonight’s game, which is why it becomes so important. Two losses this past weekend have Buffalo desperate, and while they don’t have control of their own destiny, a win tonight would boost their chances of making the postseason.
After tonight, Washington and Buffalo each have a pair of games left. A loss for Buffalo tonight would all but end any hope of making the playoffs. The Sabres are still without Christian Ehrhoff and Tyler Myers, two key pieces to the Buffalo blueline.
However, this is a team battling for a playoff spot and should not be losing to a team that has already been eliminated. But it happened last time and it can happen again. Buffalo need to find a way to defeat Toronto.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier after tonight; Buffalo will travel to Philadelphia and Boston to complete the regular season. It will likely be Ryan Miller and Ben Scrivens as the goaltenders for tonight’s game.
Tonight’s game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.