The Toronto Maple Leafs continue a busy stretch of games with their second meeting with the Buffalo Sabres at Scotiabank Arena in less than a week. The Leafs rallied from a sluggish start with four second period goals in a 5-3 victory on Monday and are looking to bounce back from one of their worst efforts of the season, a 6-1 loss at the hands of the New York Islanders.
The Sabres are fading in the race for a Eastern Conference wild card spot (seven points behind Columbus) and are playing the second of back-to-back games. Conor Sheary scored twice in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday and Buffalo traditionally gives the Leafs trouble.
Toronto went 9-4-2 in February, but are not keeping pace with the red-hot Boston Bruins, who are three points ahead of the Leafs in the race for second place in the Atlantic after going 11-0-2 last month without the services of top scorer David Pastrnak.
The Leafs will go back to Frederik Andersen in goal after Garret Sparks allowed six goals on Thursday and will make two lineup changes, replacing Justin Holl with Igor Ozhiganov and inserting newcomer Nic Petan for veteran Tyler Ennis.
Petan was acquired from Winnipeg in exchange for Par Lindholm on Monday and skated on the right side of the fourth line with Trevor Moore and Frederik Gauthier.
"(We’re) just putting him in. Our pro scouts saw something they wanted, so we’re putting him in and giving him an opportunity.” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said on Saturday morning. (Ennis has) played real well here, so it’s tough that way. Let’s see what [Petan] does."
Center Nazem Kadri took part in a morning skate with his teammates for the first time since suffering a concussion against St. Louis last month. Kadri’s absence has forced Babcock to shift William Nylander to the middle and his loss has been felt on the Leafs first power play and at even strength, where he is one of the few Toronto forwards who gets under the other team’s skin and plays with physicality.
Carter Hutton is expected to start in goal for Buffalo, as Linus Ullmark made 41 stops in the win over the Penguins.
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