Toronto Maple Leafs Lose to Buffalo Sabres, But All Eyes are on Frederik Andersen

The Toronto Maple Leafs (35-24-15) were blown out by the Buffalo Sabres (31-32-12) on Saturday night, but all eyes are on the health of Frederik Andersen.

Thoughts and Observations

The

Toronto Maple Leafs

were only down 2-1 after 20 minutes of play. The game was fast paced, they were exchanging chances with the Buffalo Sabres, the game looked within reach. And then this happened:

Arguably, the worst possible scenario for the Leafs was losing goaltender Frederik Andersen. He’s been an instrumental part of the team’s turnaround this season and he’s one of a few players Toronto can ill afford to lose.

How about

? The Sabres’ superstar has been on a tear as of late and he absolutely blew it by McElhinney on the power play when he scored an

/

-like goal.

Eichel also taunted Leaf fans a bit when he banged on the glass in celebration.

34 for 34.

tied

‘s rookie record for goals with 34 and I imagine he will break that record in the next couple of games.

registered an assist on Matthews goal, extending his rookie franchise record point streak to 11 games.

Again, the story of this game was Andersen’s injury and we received a couple updates on him. The first one came before the game ended, courtesy of

Sportnet’s

Chris Johnston.

Then came the brief update from Babcock, who seemed to suggest Andersen was possibly removed as part of the concussion protocol. I’m not going to say it was just for precautionary reasons, but that was the vibe I got from him.

It will be interesting to see what the Leafs have to say about Andersen on Monday. By the sounds of it, the Sabres suspected Andersen might have suffered a concussion and he was removed from the game because of it. Perhaps he failed the concussion test during the intermission? We can speculate all night long, but for those wondering why the Leafs’ doctor didn’t examine Andersen, here’s why:

Stat of the Night

18-2-1

The Sabres have dominated the Leafs at home recently and that trend continued on Saturday night. Buffalo is now 18-2-1 when playing the Leafs at the KeyBank Arena.

Circle April 3rd on your calendar, Leaf fans. That will be the final meeting between the Leafs and Sabres this season and, given the way Toronto has struggled when playing at KeyBank Arena, it could prove to be an important game for the Leafs’ playoff chances.

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What’s Next

The Maple Leafs are off on Sunday and will practice Monday before hosting the Florida Panthers (33-30-11) on Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre. The Panthers dismantled the Chicago Blackhawks, 7-0, on Saturday, but they will play the Sabres in Buffalo on Monday before playing the Leafs on Tuesday.

The Panthers are 6-3-4 in the second game of a back-to-back this season, while the Leafs are 15-9-2 when playing on two or more days of rest. The Leafs will also be looking to avenge the awful 7-2 loss they suffered to the Panthers on March 14th. You know, the one where the infamous fishing trip was front and centre after the game.

Toronto has bounced back well from blowout losses this season, so I’m sure we’ll see a motivated group on Tuesday night.

Next: Fehr Spotted in a Cast, Likely Out for Remainder of Season

What did you think of the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below