Jan 17, 2017
Leafs, Sabres clash amid talk of reignited rivalry
An influx of young talent in Toronto and Buffalo has fuelled talk that the dormant feud is on the verge of being rejuvenated.
TORONTO – The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs took a morning skate at the Air Canada Centre, they were a .500 team, losers in six of their last eight games, and saddled with difficulties winning in a building that was once a safe haven.
Toronto lost to the Anaheim Ducks that night. Their next opportunity at home – against Montreal on Jan. 7 – was also a loss. Yet in the intervening weeks, the Maple Leafs have been road warriors, climbing the Atlantic Division standings into a playoff spot with an 8-0-1 record away from Toronto.
With a four-game homestand starting Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres, the Maple Leafs don’t want old habits derailing their momentum.
“You have to stay dialled in, you have to stay focused,” said Connor Carrick. “Sometimes you come home and you worry about other things - taking your dry cleaning in, picking your dog up. It’s nice on the road because it’s hockey and hockey only, but you’ve got to bring that focus and jump back here.”
The Maple Leafs started the season 8-3-0 at home, while going 0-3-3 away from it. Their first road win came in Buffalo, a hard-fought 2-1 decision. Toronto was outplayed that night, giving up 43 shots on Frederik Andersen in his finest performance as a Maple Leaf.
For a moment, a dormant rivalry felt rejuvenated by two young teams on the rise. While Toronto has excelled in fits and spurts since, the Sabres’ poor record in their own division (4-8-3) has contributed to their place in the basement of the Atlantic. A matinee win over the Dallas Stars on Monday was a confidence boost they desperately needed before facing Toronto.
“It’s something we have to take pride in and do the same thing against this offensive team,” said Sabres winger Marcus Foligno of frustrating the Stars up front. “The young kids, [Auston] Matthews, [Mitch] Marner, they have a great offensive ability. They’re a scary team that can score some goals.”
Jack Eichel is Buffalo’s most explosive young player, but he missed the first game against Toronto with an ankle injury. Having him back changes the complexion of the Sabres’ lineup, and Mike Babcock isn’t selling them short.
“I think they’re playing well. I thought yesterday they started on time and played well against a tough opponent,’ Babcock said. “[Eichel]’s a real good talent, can really skate, shoot the puck, and pass the puck like [Ryan] Getzlaf on his backhand. They have a lot of good players up front.”
If the much-discussed rivalry is to reignite, stringing together a few good games in a row would be an excellent start.
“They’re a young team as well, [so we’re] two teams that are rebuilding from the floor up,” Matt Martin said. “I would imagine both teams are going to be good for a long time. Generally rivalries are better when both teams are good, so over the years as this picks up here there’s going to be some good games.”
And so the two teams meet again Tuesday night, with a little extra juice on both sides.
“Any time you’re playing a team that’s in the same conference and they’re close to you, it adds to the story,” Carrick said. “We want to win every game, and when it’s close to home like that, maybe even more so."
Morning skate notes
- Defenceman Martin Marincin has been skating with the Maple Leafs since they returned from the bye week last Thursday. Babcock said that he isn’t close to a return, despite sporting a black jersey for Tuesday’s skate instead of the usual no-contact red sweater for injured players.
- At the halfway point of his first season, Marner says he’s not feeling any ill-effects of the schedule so far. He credits the London Knights’ long playoff run a season ago with getting him prepared for what was coming. “I feel fine,” he said. “Last year I played a lot of hockey but it’s different here, it’s a much higher pace and a lot harder games. At the same time, last year our line had a lot of minutes every game. I feel mentally healthy and physically good.”
- Playing with a lead hasn’t been Toronto’s strong suit all season, but Babcock doesn’t want his team to play hesitant or dwell on past failures. “I want them to get the next one,” he said of having a lead. “I don’t want us to be careful at all. But just because I don’t want it to be doesn’t mean that happens. I don’t want us to turn the puck over either but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Catch-up hockey is losing hockey, it’s hard to chase the game all the time. But we want to keep our foot on the gas. It’s more fun that way.”