Welcome back to another edition of NHL Predictions, with us here at Last Word On Hockey. Saturday evening’s game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs is the second part of a home-and-home between the two Atlantic Division rivals. This rivalry goes back to when (current) head coach Lindy Ruff was a player for the Sabres and not a coach. Perhaps no bigger way to ignite either of these fan bases than a win against the other team. Note the early start time, as the Leafs hope to not interfere with the World Series Game 2, featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Toronto Blue Jays. But enough baseball, this is hockey.
NHL Predictions and the Leafs vs Sabres
2024-25 Season Series: Leafs held serve at 3-0, but Sabres 1-0 in 2025-26
Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
How to Watch: Sportsnet Ontario, MSG-B, ESPN+
Location: Scotiabank Arena, live from Toronto, Ontario
We can’t talk about the game tonight without mentioning what happened last night in Buffalo. The Sabres defeated the Maple Leafs 5-3 and will look to do the same in traveling to Ontario. The Sabres offence really shined, with nobody else but Mattias Samuelsson paving the way with two goals. Oliver Ekman-Larsson led the way for Toronto with two assists. The Leafs were also able to score on the power play, something that hasn’t happened against Buffalo much this season. The biggest difference in this game was the goal tenders.
Anthony Stolarz stopped many high danger chances, and has a worse stat line than the film might represent. But 25 saves on 30 shots is not going to get it done. Flip that around, Alex Lyon had another awesome night between the pipes for the Sabres. Lyon stopped 31 of 34 for the Sabres, including one incredible stop late in the game with the Leafs on the power play. Moments later Alex Tuch would find the short handed goal to seal the game.
Improvement For Both Teams Defensively
The film session both teams will have before the game tonight will not be pretty. The Sabres let a great start get upended by a breakaway goal for William Nylander. As a note, as of print, Nylander’s status was unknown following an injury that caused him to leave last night’s game in the third.
And the Leafs just simply allowed way too many high danger opportunities throughout the game. The Sabres played a very high risk high reward style of game. Defencemen were consistently jumping up into the rush and abandoning defensive responsibilities to do so. For example, on Nylander’s breakaway goal, both Bowen Byram and Rasmus Dahlin were below the offensive goal line when Ekman-Larsson made the pass. That cannot happen, something Lindy Ruff has to be emphasizing to his team.
SAMMY SZN pic.twitter.com/qcIe9EORO0
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 25, 2025
On the other end, Toronto struggled to defend east to west. Almost every goal for the Sabres had some sort of cross ice passing that made its way through the Maple Leaf defenders. They got caught up attacking which sprung many odd man rushed for Buffalo as well. It’ll be a point of emphasis in the film room. It has to be. The Leafs have struggled to keep the puck out of their own net. And that continued against the Sabres, a team that has struggled to find offence.
WHAT. A. BEAUTY. pic.twitter.com/HYqaJg7bAM
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 24, 2025
What’s at Stake For Both Teams
With the win last night, Buffalo moves into third in the Atlantic Division. We repeat, the Sabres are in a playoff spot. Crazy given the drought, the lack of changes this offseason, and the injuries they’re still currently dealing with. However, they’re there, and they’ll look to continue to ride the momentum they’ve built. They’re 4-1 in their last five, with all of those games being against divisional opponents. A win would put them in the mix to lead the division. Granted, it’s early, but what a massive boost that would be for team morale.
Now for Toronto. A win would put them back over the top of the Sabres to retake third place in the Atlantic. They have the chance to do so, on home ice, which is huge. They need to stop the Sabres momentum and gain some of their own. The Maple Leafs are currently on a three-game losing streak. Losing four in a row, with the last two against your division rival, would be bad for the locker room. Now the interesting question will be who plays in net. Stolarz just got shelled. However, help may be on the way, as Joseph Woll appears ready to return to the Leafs following a leave of absence. Either way, with the way Toronto currently defends, that goalie will need to have a big game.
Prediction & Key Outcomes
The Sabres will look to ride their momentum and establish themselves as a legitimate hockey team in the Atlantic Division for 2025-26. After a miserable 0-3 start to the year, being 5-4 with back to back wins over their biggest rival would have fans believing in this team again. For Toronto, they need to be able to bounce back at home. The critics are loud, Mitch Marner is thriving in Vegas. They need to get back to winning or having the style of play that won them the Atlantic last season.
The prediction: Buffalo Sabres 5 – Toronto Maple Leafs 4
Buffalo has the momentum, Toronto is on a skid. This will be another high octane game featuring a lot of offence from star players. It should be a fun watch.
Best Prop Bets to Watch
We like for any time goal, to select Tage Thompson. He is riding a great performance last night in Western New York. For an assist, take Zach Benson, the 20-year-old is just piling them up. If you really want to get adventurous, take Josh Doan as a power play goal scorer. He was close last night, look for him to seal the deal tonight.
Main Photo Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
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