What Do the Maple Leafs Need to Do to Beat Buffalo?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are back home tonight, and I suspect they'd be happy to put their road trip behind them. They collected three points in three games out west, but Tuesday's 5-4 loss to Utah reminded them that scoring goals isn't always enough. The Maple Leafs have scored 18 goals over their last four games. That's the good news. They've also allowed 16. That's the part that should worry them.

Buffalo comes to town after a shootout loss to Montreal, and the Sabres will be looking for a better result. So, what do the Maple Leafs need to do to win tonight?

First, Toronto Needs to Give Auston Matthews a Reason to Smile.

Matthews has been rolling lately. He extended his point streak to five games against Utah and has 12 points through Toronto's first seven games. He's also had plenty of success against Buffalo over his career.

The Maple Leafs need their captain to keep doing what he's doing, but they also need to make his job easier. That means getting bodies to the net, winning puck battles and making sure the offence doesn't depend on one or two players to do everything. Matthews can lead the way. The rest of the team needs to follow.

Second, the Maple Leafs Need to Stop Giving Away So Many Goals.

Here's the big one. Toronto has been scoring enough to win hockey games, but giving up 16 goals in four outings makes life awfully difficult. Chris Tanev's absence hurts, especially when the defence is asked to do so much. Darren Raddysh played nearly 25 minutes against Utah, and Marshall Rifai saw limited action after his call-up.

But this isn't just a defence problem. As coach Jim Hiller pointed out after Tuesday's game, everybody has a responsibility. The forwards have to help below the puck, the defence needs to manage its gaps, and the goaltending has to give the team a chance when breakdowns happen. Nobody needs to be perfect. They just need to make life a little less complicated.

Third, the Maple Leafs Need to Play a Full 60 Minutes.

The Maple Leafs nearly came back against Utah, with John Tavares and Gavin McKenna scoring in the third period. It was an encouraging finish, but Toronto shouldn't need a desperate late push to get back into a game. Buffalo is coming off a loss of its own, and Rasmus Dahlin's availability is uncertain. The Maple Leafs need to take advantage of the opportunity without assuming the Sabres will make it easy.

What's My Take for Tonight’s Game?

I'd like to see Toronto play with the urgency it showed late against Utah, but bring that effort from the opening faceoff. The offence is there. Now the Maple Leafs need to defend with a little more purpose, stay out of trouble and give themselves a chance to finish the night with two points.

That's not asking for miracles. It's asking for a complete hockey game.