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Monday game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres
Nylander could face Nylander if Sabres call up younger brother.
https://www.thestar.com/sports/leaf...ew-toronto-maple-leafs-at-buffalo-sabres.html
By Mark ZwolinskiSports reporter
Sun., April 2, 2017
KEYBANK CENTER
PUCK DROP: 7 p.m.
TV: Sportsnet
RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The FAN
KEY PLAYERS
Nylander and Nylander
There were rumours Sunday that the Sabres would call up Alexander Nylander. That would pit the 19-year-old Alex against his 20-year-old brother, William. The Sabres’ first-round pick last June, Alex has been playing for Rochester (AFL), where he has nine goals and 27 assists in 62 games. William Nylander had points in 12 of the Leafs’ 14 games in March.
NEED TO KNOW
The Sabres lost 4-2 to the Islanders Sunday to fall to 32-34-12. Evander Kane scored his team-leading 27th goal of the season. More than 19,000 were on hand for the game on fan appreciation day . . . C.J. Smith, who was signed out of the U.S. college ranks last week, made his NHL debut with Kyle Okposo ailing (flu) and assisted on the Kane goal. Smith skated on a line with Brian Gionta, playing the 1,002nd game of his career . . . Defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen returned from a three-game suspension . . . Former Leaf Cody Franson, who has been out with an upper-body injury, is ready to return but has been a healthy scratch the last six games.
UP NEXT
Tuesday, vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m.
Game Day: Maple Leafs at Sabres
By Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun
First posted: Monday, April 03, 2017 01:12 AM EDT | Updated: Monday, April 03, 2017 08:11 AM EDT
http://www.torontosun.com/2017/04/03/game-day-maple-leafs-at-sabres
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS at BUFFALO SABRES
Monday, 7 p.m., KeyBank Center
TV: SNO; Radio: 590 AM
THE BIG MATCH-UP
Auston Matthews vs. Rasmus Ristolainen
The Maple Leafs caught a break in their previous meeting as Buffalo defenceman Ristolainen was serving a suspension. He returned to the lineup on Sunday and played a team-high 26 minutes 23 seconds against the New York Islanders. Count on the hot Matthews to see plenty of Ristolainen, not only on Monday, but for the next several seasons to come.
Sabres aim to damage Leafs' playoff hopes
STATS/TSX•Apr 3, 2017, 2:05 AM
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- As the Toronto Maple Leafs close in on their first playoff berth in four years, the Buffalo Sabres seek to continue playing the spoiler role for their Atlantic Division rivals.
The Maple Leafs (36-24-15) and rookie sensation Auston Matthews are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, entering a Monday night game at Buffalo tied with Tampa Bay for both third place in the Atlantic and the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Toronto is also just one point behind second-place Boston, with two games in hand, in the division standings.
"Obviously, we're all watching the standings, but there's nothing to say until we clinch a spot. We haven't done that yet," Toronto coach Mike Babcock said, according to NHL.com, after a 5-4 win in Detroit on Saturday night, the Maple Leafs' 10th victory in 13 games.
Matthews, who is tied for fourth in the league with 38 goals, has his eye on a postseason berth.
All-Star forward Kyle Okposo will miss his third straight game due to an illness.
The Sabres could be calling up forward Alex Nylander, the No. 8 pick in the 2016 draft, setting up a matchup with older brother William Nylander, who was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for March after setting a Leafs' rookie record with a 12-game point streak.
The younger Nylander has played for the Sabres' minor league affiliate in Rochester all season but was held out of Sunday's game. Asked about Nylander's potential call-up after Sunday's game, Bylsma responded, "We'll see."
Frederik Andersen will start in goal for Toronto on Monday, Babcock said following Sunday's optional skate in Buffalo. Backup Curtis McElhinney will start Tuesday's game in Washington.