The Buffalo Sabres fell 4-0 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo generated plenty of quality scoring chances and got 36 shots on Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz but couldn’t break through; this marks the Sabres’ fourth shutout loss of the season.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started in net for Buffalo and made 28 saves on 31 shots.
Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn was unavailable due to an undisclosed injury; Isak Rosen, recalled from Rochester pregame, entered the lineup in his place and skated 7:00.
Auston Matthews tallied an empty-net goal and an assist for Toronto, with Steven Lorentz, Mitch Marner and Nicholas Robertson also scoring for the Maple Leafs’.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
Buffalo got the game’s first power play thanks to Robertson’s high-sticking minor late in the period, but the Sabres were called for a penalty of their own before that man advantage expired.
During the ensuing penalty kill, Luukkonen pushed to his left to rob a Matthews one-timer. Seconds later, he killed another scoring chance by diving on a loose puck in his crease.
The Sabres led 13-8 in first-period shots and, per Natural Stat Trick, 4-1 in high-danger scoring chances.
Second Period
Buffalo killed off another Toronto power play early in the period.
Lorentz scored 14:15 in on a one-timer from the high slot, giving the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead.
The Sabres registered nine second-period shots, five of which came after the Lorentz goal, but they couldn’t solve Stolarz.
Third Period
Luukkonen stopped William Nylander on an early-period breakaway chance to keep Buffalo within a goal. Moments later, Nylander went off for a high-sticking minor. JJ Peterka had a couple of quality shots on the man advantage, but Simon Benoit blocked one and Stolarz made a great save on the next.
Marner doubled Toronto’s lead 15:39 into the third period, burying Matthews’ spinning, cross-crease pass. Matthews scored an empty netter after Toronto survived heavy 6-on-5 pressure in its own end, and Robertson added a breakaway tally to make it 4-0.
