NHL

Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs prediction

Buffalo Sabres4–4–2 · Home Toronto Maple Leafs6–4–2 · Away07:00 PMFeb 27

Lines

Lines from the last game · may change

Buffalo Sabres

Last game: Oct 21

CE92EllisProjected

ZB6BensonLW NO86OstlundC JQ22QuinnRW

1st line

8:40 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
6	Zach Benson LW	21:21	0	5	5
86	Noah Ostlund C	21:40	2	5	7
22	Jack Quinn RW	20:45	5	4	9

21 points this season

JK20KulichLW TT72ThompsonC JD91DoanRW

2nd line

8:44 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
20	Jiří Kulich LW	13:42	1	2	3
72	Tage Thompson C	20:06	5	4	9
91	Josh Doan RW	13:32	1	1	2

14 points this season

JZ17ZuckerLW JN9NorrisC KH94HeleniusRW

3rd line

4:38 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
17	Jason Zucker LW	12:16	1	0	1
9	Josh Norris C	13:43	2	1	3
94	Konsta Helenius RW	9:07	1	1	2

6 points this season

BM29MalenstynLW RM71McLeodC PK19KrebsRW

4th line

5:00 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
29	Beck Malenstyn LW	10:07	0	2	2
71	Ryan McLeod C	13:06	1	1	2
19	Peyton Krebs RW	8:49	0	4	4

8 points this season

RD26DahlinD MS23SamuelssonD

1st pair

14:44 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
26	Rasmus Dahlin D	26:27	2	2	4
23	Mattias Samuelsson D	22:51	2	5	7

11 points this season

OP25PowerD OZ8ZellwegerD

2nd pair

12:21 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
25	Owen Power D	26:12	2	6	8
8	Olen Zellweger D	18:11	2	1	3

11 points this season

ZM73MetsaD LC46CrevierD

3rd pair

4:03 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
73	Zach Metsa D	10:43	0	2	2
46	Louis Crevier D	10:30	0	1	1

3 points this season

NO86OstlundF ZB6BensonF JQ22QuinnF

TT72ThompsonF RD26DahlinD

Power play unit 1

4:41 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
86	Noah Ostlund F	21:40	2	5	7
6	Zach Benson F	21:21	0	5	5
22	Jack Quinn F	20:45	5	4	9
72	Tage Thompson F	20:06	5	4	9
26	Rasmus Dahlin D	26:27	2	2	4

34 points this season

Power play unit 2: No such unit in that game.

ZB6BensonF RM71McLeodF

OP25PowerD MS23SamuelssonD

Penalty kill unit 1

1:26 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
6	Zach Benson F	21:21	0	5	5
71	Ryan McLeod F	13:06	1	1	2
25	Owen Power D	26:12	2	6	8
23	Mattias Samuelsson D	22:51	2	5	7

22 points this season

JN9NorrisF BM29MalenstynF

OZ8ZellwegerD ZM73MetsaD

Penalty kill unit 2

1:15 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
9	Josh Norris F	13:43	2	1	3
29	Beck Malenstyn F	10:07	0	2	2
8	Olen Zellweger D	18:11	2	1	3
73	Zach Metsa D	10:43	0	2	2

10 points this season

Goalies: Colten Ellis #92 (Projected) · Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen #1 (Backup)

Toronto Maple Leafs

Last game: Oct 22

1st line

13:46 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
20	Nick Paul LW	17:27	2	3	5
86	Kirill Marchenko C	18:23	6	6	12
88	William Nylander RW	20:12	6	9	15

32 points this season

96RoslovicLW

34MatthewsC EC53CowanRW

2nd line

12:23 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
96	Jack Roslovic LW	15:58	4	5	9
34	Auston Matthews C	19:16	8	9	17
53	Easton Cowan RW	16:48	5	6	11

37 points this season

24DuhaimeLW

73BluegerC

19MacewenRW

3rd line

5:19 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
24	Brandon Duhaime LW	14:14	1	2	3
73	Teddy Blueger C	15:18	1	1	2
19	Zack Macewen RW	7:06	0	2	2

7 points this season

92McKennaLW

15SissonsC

71LettieriRW

4th line

7:12 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
92	Gavin McKenna LW	10:44	3	4	7
15	Colton Sissons C	15:34	2	3	5
71	Vinni Lettieri RW	10:08	0	0	0

12 points this season

43RaddyshD

22McCabeD

1st pair

16:02 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
43	Darren Raddysh D	24:17	0	5	5
22	Jake McCabe D	21:03	0	1	1

6 points this season

44RiellyD TS28StecherD

2nd pair

14:23 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
44	Morgan Rielly D	20:58	0	7	7
28	Troy Stecher D	20:17	1	1	2

9 points this season

95Ekman-LarssonD

3BlankenburgD

3rd pair

9:34 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
95	Oliver Ekman-Larsson D	19:22	0	1	1
3	Nick Blankenburg D	11:27	1	0	1

2 points this season

Power play unit 1

2:31 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
88	William Nylander F	20:12	6	9	15
34	Auston Matthews F	19:16	8	9	17
86	Kirill Marchenko F	18:23	6	6	12
92	Gavin McKenna F	10:44	3	4	7
43	Darren Raddysh D	24:17	0	5	5

56 points this season

Power play unit 2

0:35 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
53	Easton Cowan F	16:48	5	6	11
96	Jack Roslovic F	15:58	4	5	9
71	Vinni Lettieri F	10:08	0	0	0
44	Morgan Rielly D	20:58	0	7	7
95	Oliver Ekman-Larsson D	19:22	0	1	1

28 points this season

73BluegerF

24DuhaimeF

22McCabeD TS28StecherD

Penalty kill unit 1

0:49 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
73	Teddy Blueger F	15:18	1	1	2
24	Brandon Duhaime F	14:14	1	2	3
22	Jake McCabe D	21:03	0	1	1
28	Troy Stecher D	20:17	1	1	2

8 points this season

Penalty kill unit 2

0:39 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
20	Nick Paul F	17:27	2	3	5
15	Colton Sissons F	15:34	2	3	5
44	Morgan Rielly D	20:58	0	7	7
95	Oliver Ekman-Larsson D	19:22	0	1	1

18 points this season

Goalies: Sergei Bobrovsky #72 (Projected) · Anthony Stolarz #41 (Backup)

Swipe the rink to switch units

How we read the lines

From the NHL’s shift charts, the three forwards and the two defencemen who shared the most 5-on-5 ice time, ranked by time on ice. Coaches shuffle lines often, so treat them as a guide until puck drop. Power-play and penalty-kill units: the five (on the power play) or four (on the penalty kill) skaters who were on the ice together the longest in that situation. TOI: ice time in that game. G, A, P: goals, assists and points this season.

Photo credits (19)

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen · CloutsnChara Sports Cards, CC BY 3.0
Nick Paul · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Kirill Marchenko · Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0
William Nylander · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Jack Roslovic · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Auston Matthews · Azadeh Kashani, CC BY-SA 4.0
Brandon Duhaime · Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Teddy Blueger · Pens_Through_My_Lens, CC BY-SA 4.0
Zack Macewen · Andrew McQuillan, CC BY-SA 2.0
Gavin McKenna · Kaiser matias, CC BY-SA 4.0
Colton Sissons · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Vinni Lettieri · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Darren Raddysh · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Jake McCabe · Xgeorg, CC BY-SA 3.0
Morgan Rielly · Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0
Oliver Ekman-Larsson · 5of7, CC BY-SA 2.0
Nick Blankenburg · SecretName101, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sergei Bobrovsky · Paula R. Lively from Zanesville, CC BY 2.0
Anthony Stolarz · Jessica, CC BY-SA 2.0

Goalie duel

Projected

Projected from recent starts · confirmed at puck drop

Colten Ellis BUF

.864 save percentage

3.19 GAA · 1–1–0 · 3 starts

Back-up expected: second night of a back-to-back

Sergei Bobrovsky TOR

.895 save percentage

3.10 GAA · 3–3–2 · 8 starts

Teams do not name their goalie before the game. We expect the No. 1 unless his team played the night before, when the back-up usually starts; last season that call was right about two times in three. Our win chances do not depend on it.

Photo credits (1)