Sabres vs. Maple Leafs: Buffalo takes opener 5–3 behind Samuelsson brace; quick rematch in Toronto tonight

The Buffalo Sabres seized the first leg of the back-to-back against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 5–3 win in Buffalo on Friday night, powered by defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s first career two-goal game and a late short-handed dagger from Alex Tuch. With the victory, Buffalo snapped a recent skid against its Atlantic rival and made it four wins in five outings heading into tonight’s return game in Toronto.

How Buffalo beat Toronto in Game 1

• Blue-line bonus: Samuelsson jumped into space twice and finished both chances, flipping the script on a matchup usually defined by Toronto’s star forwards.

• The killer moment: With the Maple Leafs pressing on a third-period power play, Tuch broke free for a short-handed finish that restored a two-goal cushion and effectively iced it.

• Backstop boost: Alex Lyon turned aside a barrage, closing the door during key swings to preserve Buffalo’s lead.

• Toronto’s push: The Leafs generated enough looks to keep the building tense—Auston Matthews found the net and the top line tilted the ice for stretches—but defensive lapses and the shorty against proved costly.

Scoring snapshot (Fri.)

• Buffalo: Samuelsson (2), plus key tallies from the forward group including Tuch’s short-handed strike late.

• Toronto: Three goals spread across the top six, highlighted by Matthews.

What it means for the Sabres

Friday’s win looked like a template Buffalo can replicate:

1. Balanced scoring: Depth beyond the first line is showing up at five-on-five and special teams.

2. Defensive engagement: Activated defensemen are creating second-wave offense without bleeding odd-man rushes the other way.

3. Goaltending on time: Timely stops turned potential momentum swings into routine clears.

The challenge now is consistency. Buffalo’s early season has mixed decisive wins with off nights; banking points in a road barn less than 24 hours later would mark a step from streaky to sustainable.

What’s at stake for the Maple Leafs

Toronto enters tonight on a mini slide and faces early-season questions familiar to this core:

• Rush defense and slot coverage: The Leafs have conceded high-danger looks in transition and on broken plays. Cleaning up the interior will reduce scramble shifts.

• Special-teams management: One short-handed concession swung Game 1. Zone entries and puck security on the power play must tighten.

• Depth production: Top stars will score; the difference in a back-to-back often comes from the third line and second power-play unit winning their minutes.

Expect adjustments in matchups and defensive pairs, with an emphasis on boxing out and controlling the front of the net.

Tonight’s rematch: keys and matchups to watch

• Faceoffs & exits: First touch matters in back-to-backs. Clean defensive-zone draws and first passes will dictate who spends more time below the dots.

• Net-front real estate: Buffalo earned tips and rebounds; Toronto must seal sticks and clear bodies. At the other end, the Leafs will try to park traffic to take away the goalie’s eyes.

• Discipline: Whistles can pile up when legs are heavy. The team that stays out of the box (and avoids the back-breaking shorty) carries the edge.

• Goaltending choices: With no rest day, both benches weigh ride-the-hot-hand vs. fresh legs. The decision could swing the first 10 minutes.

Puck drop: 5:00 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena (midnight UK). Lineups in back-to-backs are fluid; monitor pregame updates for goalie confirmation and any late scratches.

Early season pulse: Sabres vs. Leafs by the numbers (trend check)

• Buffalo: Four wins in the last five, improved five-on-five chance quality, and rising blue-line contributions. Penalties remain a watch item; staying at five-on-five has favored the Sabres.

• Toronto: Still generating volume and star-level finishing talent, but defensive details and late-game management have trimmed margins. Tightening special teams and defending the slot are the near-term fixes.

Bottom line

Buffalo drew first blood with structure, opportunism, and a big night from an unlikely goal leader on the back end. Toronto gets immediate home-ice revenge opportunity tonight. If the Leafs tidy their interior defense and protect the puck on special teams, the series can split. If the Sabres again win the middle of the ice and get timely saves, a statement sweep is on the table.

Status note: Friday’s 5–3 result is final. Tonight’s game is pending at publication time; details may evolve around warmups and starting goaltenders.