Tuch scores 2 as Sabres rally to beat Maple Leafs 4-3
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray (30) makes a save under pressure from Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch (89) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Monday, March 13, 2023. Credit: AP/Nathan Denette
TORONTO — Alex Tuch had two goals in his return from injury and the Buffalo Sabres rallied from two goals down to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Monday night.
Jack Quinn and Dylan Cozens also scored for Buffalo, and Owen Power and JJ Peterka each had two assists for Buffalo. Craig Anderson had 25 saves as the Sabres won for just the second time in eight games (2-5-1).
Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists, and William Nylander and Calle Jarnkrok also scored for Toronto. Mitch Marner had two assists and Matt Murray stopped 25 shots.
After falling behind 2-0 early in the second period, the Sabres scored four consecutive goals over a 27-minute stretch.
Quinn batting the puck past Murray for the rookie forward’s 13th to get the Sabres on the scoreboard with 5:02 left in the second.
Anderson made a nice breakaway stop on Nylander on Toronto’s next shot early in the third — the Leafs went over 17 minutes without testing the Sabres’ goalie — before Tuch tied things at 3:39.
Murray denied Tage Thompson on a break to keep Toronto level, but Cozens gave Buffalo a 3-2 lead near the midpoint of the period for his 26th.
Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka (77) and Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (88) vie for control of the puck during first-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Monday, March 13, 2023. Credit: AP/Nathan Denette
With the Sabres on a power play, Tuch converted a pass from Jeff Skinner with 8:41 left for his second of the night and first 30-goal season.
The Maple Leafs finally woke up as the period wore on, but Anderson stopped Michael Bunting on a 2-on-0 with John Tavares. Nylander scored his 35th from a tight angle with 1:01 remaining, but that’s as close as Toronto would come despite a wild final few seconds.
Playing his 38th career game against the Maple Leafs, Anderson was also sharp in a first period that included a couple of good looks for Matthews, who came in with 13 goals in 16 contests against the 41-year-old.
But Matthews eventually connected early in the second. After Marner and Alexander Kerfoot moved in on a 2-on-1, the latter booted the puck with his skate into the path of Matthews for him to chip his 31st upstairs.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner (16) gets tripped up by Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson (78) as teammate Craig Anderson (41) makes the save and Leafs forward Alexander Kerfoot (15) looks for the rebound during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Monday, March 13, 2023. Credit: AP/Nathan Denette
Jarnkrok then doubled the advantage just over three minutes later when he fired five-hole for his 15th.
ANTHEM AUDIBLE
A sound issue at Scotiabank Arena meant there was no audio for the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to puck drop, but fans stepped in a cappella-style and belted out the U.S. national anthem before the problem was fixed in time for “O Canada.”
SCHENN’S ARRIVAL
Maple Leafs cpach Sheldon Keefe said before the game veteran defenseman Luke Schenn was expected in Toronto at some point Monday after his wife recently gave birth of the couple’s third child in Vancouver.
Drafted by the Maple Leafs in 2008 and traded away in 2012, the 33-year-old was reacquired from the Canucks ahead of the NHL trade deadline.
TUCH’S RETURN
Tuch was back in the lineup after an eight-game absence with a lower-body injury.
“Not great timing,” Tuch said following the morning skating of being on the shelf with Buffalo desperately trying to stay in the playoff chase.
UP NEXT
Sabres: At Washington on Wednesday night in the middle game of a three-game series.
Maple Leafs: Host Colorado on Wednesday night in the third of a four-game homestand.
