The Toronto Maple Leafs took on their Atlantic Division rivals the Buffalo Sabres to extend their win streak to 3 on Friday December 20th at the Keybank Centre.
The last match up between the two teams saw the Maple Leafs beat the Sabres 5-3 in Toronto last Sunday which was the Sabres tenth loss in a row. That game saw the resurgence of Toronto's third line as both Max Domi and Nick Robertson recorded a helper and goal, with Bobby McMann logging two assists as well.
The trio continued to find success in their next game against the Stars, and again last night. Both Domi and Robertson have a goal and an assist in each of the last three games, while Bobby McMann has two goals and five points over the same span.
With the win, the Leafs maintain a tie for first in the Atlantic (Florida was also victorious last night).
Maple Leafs Beat Sabres Again - Buffalo Up to a Dozen Losses in a Row
The Toronto Maple Leafs gave Matt Murray the nod in net on Friday, which was his first NHL start since April 2nd 2023.
Tonights game served as a great opportunity for Matt Murray to prove he still has what it takes to cut it at the NHL level, an opportunity the 30 year old Murray took full advantage of. The netminder stepped up to the plate assuming the starting role for the first leg of a back to back taking on the Sabres in his first game in nearly two years.
Murray made 24 saves on 27 shots and was good enough to secure the win. The former cup champ has proven with todays performance that he has the skill and ability to play as a capable back up goalie while Leafs mainstay Anthony Stolarz is Injured, however the Leafs will be wishing him a speedy recovery as Murray is no substitute for Stolarz.
The Leafs controlled the play for the majority of the game and held a lead throughout. Two goals were called back in favour of the Leafs, one for a missed penalty and one off of a risky coaches challenge that Leafs bench boss Craig Berube wisely made. The Leafs head coach calculated the risk and knew the reward would be worth it, denying Owen Power his second goal of the night and keeping the score at 5-3.
The Toronto Maple Leafs third line of Max Domi, Bobby McMann and Nicholas Robertson continued their run and were once again dominant and fun to watch.
This fast paced third lines production has been extremely successful as of the last 3 games. This uptick in scoring is what Leafs fans have hoped for from Domi and Robertson who were re-signed in the offseason for just this reason. The trio dominated the offensive zone when they were on the ice tonight and clearly had chemistry as they controlled the play.
Speaking of Bobby McMann, his highlight reel worthy spin o rama pass to Domi for the game winner was a thing of beauty and demonstrates the magic the leafs third line can produce when playing at the level they should.
The Toronto Maple Leafs take on the New York Islanders in the second game of their back to back at Scotiabank Arena Tomorrow on Saturday December 21st. The Leafs are coming off of three straight wins and look to keep it going as well as their third lines success against the basement of the Metro Division tomorrow night.