Face-off: 1900 ET, 12/04/2022
Arena: Scotiabank Arena
The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to make it three wins in a row as the race in the Atlantic Division hots up.
The season is over now for the Buffalo Sabres but they will look to arrest a slide that has seen them lose three games in a row.
The Maple Leafs are four points clear of the Tampa Bay Lightning in second place in the Atlantic and a win by three goals at 4.00 should solidify their position and is our opening Toronto Maple Leafs vs Buffalo Sabres prediction.
Toronto Maple Leafs Odds
Toronto secured a play-off place with the 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens last time out and the focus now is on seeding.
Third in the Eastern Conference, they can pull level with the Carolina Hurricanes on 102 points.
Auston Matthews leads the league with 58 goals and is just one point away from recording the first 100-point season of his career.
Coach Sheldon Keefe feels his team can now focus on ironing out the details after playoff qualification was secured.
“It’s a great accomplishment for our team and with 10 games left, it’s a sign you’ve had an excellent regular season,” Keefe said.
“We’ve been preparing and acting, feeling as though we’re a playoff team for a long period of time now but certainly to have that official speaks to the process and the work that the guys have put in to this point.
“And also it just allows us to zoom in and focus even more so on making sure that our game is ready and our team is prepared when the time comes.”
Toronto to win with over 6.5 goals appeals at Toronto Maple Leafs vs Buffalo Sabres odds.
Buffalo Sabres Odds
Teenage defenceman Owen Power will make his NHL debut for the Sabres at the Scotiabank Arena.
Power was taken number one overall at the 2021 draft but elected to play the season in college with the University of Michigan.
The 19-year-old scored 32 points in 33 games before the University of Michigan were eliminated by Denver in the Frozen Four.
Power will be partnered on the blueline with Henri Jokiharju and coach Don Granato knew who he would play alongside before Power even joined up with the Sabres.
He said: “It feels right. I think the most important thing for us is to support Owen as best as we can as a team.
“We have 18 guys on the ice that know our system up and down the rink. We just have to allow Owen to play and allow him to adapt and acclimatise to the NHL.”
The Maple Leafs might be a tough first assignment for Power and Toronto to win the first period at 1.80 is the last of our Toronto Maple Leafs vs Buffalo Sabres betting tips.
Additional stats
Last result:
TORONTO 3-2 Montreal
Tampa Bay 5-0 BUFFALO
Season head-to-head: Buffalo 5-2 Toronto, Toronto 1-5 Buffalo, Buffalo 4-5 Toronto
