Tavares Hat Trick Lifts Maple Leafs Past Sabres in Thrilling Home Win
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs surged to a commanding 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in a high-energy showdown at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday evening. Captain John Tavares led the charge with a hat trick, electrifying the home crowd of 18,588 in a crucial Atlantic Division matchup.
Buffalo opened the scoring early, with Jack Quinn netting a power-play goal just over a minute into the game. Alex Tuch extended the Sabres’ lead to 2-0 shortly after, but the Leafs responded as Max Domi scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Nick Robertson and Bobby McMann, to cut the deficit before the first intermission.
Toronto’s momentum carried into the second period. Nick Robertson equalized with a goal at 11:20, setting the stage for Tavares to take over. The Leafs’ captain struck twice in just over two minutes, including a power-play goal assisted by Auston Matthews and William Nylander, and another at even strength with support from Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
LEAFS WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWIN!@LGCanada | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/ylKg0kCzko
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 16, 2024
The Sabres’ Quinn added his second goal of the night midway through the period, but Buffalo struggled to capitalize on their chances, managing just three goals on 27 shots. Dennis Hildeby stood strong in net for the Leafs, making 24 saves to secure the win.
With under two minutes remaining, Tavares completed his hat trick, scoring on an empty net off assists from Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner. The goal sealed Toronto’s 18th home game of the season and further solidified Tavares as the game’s first star.
Buffalo’s Devon Levi faced 41 shots, stopping 36, while the Sabres’ offense was hindered by penalties, including a 10-minute misconduct issued to Dylan Cozens late in the third period for abuse of officials.
Toronto’s win was a testament to their depth and resilience, with standout performances from Robertson, who notched a goal and an assist, and Domi, who contributed both offensively and defensively.
The Leafs’ victory brings them to an even 31 games played this season, as they look to build on this performance heading into their next matchup.
