Maple Leafs Dominate Buffalo Sabres in a 6-3 Victory
BUFFALO – The Toronto Maple Leafs delivered a commanding performance against the Buffalo Sabres, securing a 6-3 win in front of 18,267 fans at KeyBank Center on Friday night. The victory showcased a well-rounded offensive effort, with standout contributions from Bobby McMann, Max Domi, and William Nylander, who were named the game’s three stars.
Toronto set the tone early with McMann opening the scoring just 1:29 into the first period, his eighth goal of the season, assisted by Max Domi and Nick Robertson. The Leafs doubled their lead on a power-play goal from Auston Matthews at 6:05, with assists from Nylander and Mitch Marner.
The Sabres struggled to keep pace with Toronto’s relentless offense in the second period. Robertson scored his fifth goal of the season less than two minutes into the period, followed by Domi adding another at 4:27. Nylander capped off the period with a goal at 10:47, supported by a well-timed assist from captain John Tavares.
LEAFS WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWIN!@LGCanada | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/mssP4yozvz
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 21, 2024
Buffalo mounted a modest comeback, with J.J. Peterka, Mattias Samuelsson, and Owen Power each finding the net, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Toronto’s offensive onslaught.
Toronto sealed the deal in the final moments of the game with Nylander adding an empty-net goal, bringing his season total to 21.
Matt Murray stood tall in goal for Toronto, making 24 saves on 27 shots and helping the Leafs kill off all but one of Buffalo’s power plays. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and James Reimer shared goaltending duties for Buffalo but struggled against Toronto’s precision shooting.
Toronto’s next game is set for Saturday, December 21, when they face the New York Islanders.
