The Toronto Maple Leafs were able to stage an impressive comeback win over the Buffalo Sabres thanks to John Tavares clinching the two points in overtime -- but that's not important. There was a play that was possibly the most violence we've seen on the ice in the entire NHL this season.
Sure, the hometown player being able to score a game-winning goal that shakes off some doubt, and actually keeps the Leafs from not having an embarrassing record less than 10 games into the season, but what if I told you that Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe destroyed two separate Sabres players?
During the final few minutes of the first period, McCabe saw Sabres blueliner Bowen Byram come right into the slot to get a prime scoring chance and blew him up so bad the young defenseman basically did a cartwheel. And then Alex Tuch came in to maybe not make Byram look absolutely ridiculous for doing that, and then he got dropped by a couple punches.
closer look at it pic.twitter.com/wpqecbamsh
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) October 25, 2025
We're not even joking. That is the stuff you dream about. It's not a sick goal, or a crazy pass, or even a spirited fight. It's your big, physical defenseman making a smaller guy go flying and then the opposing team's tough power forward coming in to defend his teammate, and getting absolutely rocked.
It wasn't even just a normal fight, either. Tuch went to go grab McCabe and the Leafs defenseman fully committed to dropping the gloves immediately. And before Tuch could even get a grip on McCabe's sweater, he got a couple punches straight to the nose. He for some reason then get turned around, went to go back to facing McCabe and the Toronto blueliner just straight up clotheslined him and dropped the Sabres forward.
We won't be able to stop thinking about this. It's something that should be used in every single Leafs hype video until the end of time.
It makes it so much easier to celebrate this that it wasn't in the middle of a devastating loss that sent the Maple Leafs down a spiral of defeats and out of the playoffs for the first time in the Auston Matthews era.
It came in a much-needed win and we can easily give credit to the goal scorers and the overall team impact, but we're going to just hand the win over to McCabe ruining the nights of a couple Sabres.