Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
So far, nothing seems to be working for the Buffalo Sabres. Even when matched against fellow strugglers, they still manage to lose. Now, they host the division leaders. What hope is there for points?
Buffalo Sabres
During their 11-game winless streak, there's a defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs (3:5), which occurred right before their latest thrashing by the Montreal Canadiens (1:6). The Sabres are conceding too many goals—they alone could frequently push the game total higher. It's very seldom under four goals. Even Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who initially conceded fewer goals than expected, has seen a dip in performance (-1.2). In reality, for the Sabres to secure a victory, they need only to allow fewer than two goals.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs seldom score as few as two goals (four times in their last 10 matches). And this doesn't even guarantee a loss—they defeated the New Jersey Devils in overtime (2:1). In recent games, they have managed to overcome not only the lowly Sabres but also Western Conference contenders the Dallas Stars (5:3). Achieving such a feat against the Stars in Texas is no easy task. Strategic distribution of workload played a role: William Nylander stepped up with two goals, while all third-line forwards found the back of the net.
Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction
Frankly, the Buffalo Sabres have little chance of success in their current state. In that first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, they allowed far too many shots on goal—41, with an additional 19 missing the target. Moreover, the Sabres rarely blocked shots—only four. Even an exceptional goaltender would struggle under such pressure. While we won't confine the hosts to a certain defeat, we do foresee a high-scoring match.
