The Toronto Maple Leafs are not only losing games, they are losing players at a rapid rate as they prepare to host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.
The Maple Leafs finished their 5-3 road loss to Boston Bruins on Tuesday without captain Auston Matthews (lower-body injury) and No. 1 goaltender Anthony Stolarz (upper-body).
Matthews left the game in the second period after taking a hit in the back from Boston defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
“I think it’s a penalty, personally, but I’m not the referee,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “I don’t like the hit. He’s in a vulnerable position.”
Matthews returned a hit on Zadorov before finishing his shift.
No matter who is available, the Maple Leafs appear to have a difficult task against the Kings, who are coming off a 5-1 road win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and have won two in a row, as well as three of their past four.
As for Matthews, he was to be assessed on Wednesday, a day off for the team.
After the game, Berube was uncertain about the severity of the injury.
“I don’t know exactly,” he said. “I can’t give you a timeline or how serious it is right now. I’m not sure when he hurt it to be honest with you.”
Stolarz was replaced by Dennis Hildeby after the first period but Berube did not seem concerned.
“I don’t believe that’s serious,” Berube said. “I think he’ll be fine.”
Goaltender Joseph Woll, who missed the early weeks of the season for a personal issue, is with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League and is close to returning to the Maple Leafs.
Toronto already is without top defenseman Chris Tanev and forward Scott Laughton, who both have upper-body injuries.
The Maple Leafs have lost three straight after winning three in a row. They have struggled at times despite playing 12 of their first 16 games at home.
“It’s adversity, for sure,” said forward Max Domi, who had an assist for Toronto in Boston. “Every guy in here is champing at the bit. Everyone wants an opportunity and here’s our opportunity. Everyone’s got to step up. Next-man-up mentality.”
The Kings are playing well on the road, having won the first two matchups of their current six-game trip.
They are 7-1-2 away from home and will be pursuing a fifth consecutive road victory on Thursday.
“It’s weird — like, two years ago, same thing,” said Quinton Byfield, who had a goal and an assist on Tuesday. “We were hot on the road, last year we were hot at home, now we’re hot on the road, I guess, again. I can’t say anything about that, it’s kind of how it goes sometimes, so obviously you want to make it both home and away and get some wins at home, but we’ve got to finish the road trip strong.”
The Kings trailed after the first period at Montreal, then erupted for three goals in a span of 4:05 early in the second.
“We felt pretty good about the period, so to come out one down was disappointing,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “But I thought we did a good job not to overreact and just understand that the way we’re playing, just come out and do it again.”
“We’ve got to be better, plain and simple. There’s no excuse for where we are right now. We need to hold ourselves accountable and make the necessary changes, because this isn’t acceptable.”
— Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres Forward
Buffalo Sabres fans, brace yourselves: change is coming. After yet another brutal defeat — a 5-2 loss to Utah followed by a 6-2 drubbing by the Colorado Avalanche — it’s clear that this team is nowhere near the contender they were supposed to be this season. And for fans who’ve waited 14 years for a playoff spot, the latest string of losses is a hard pill to swallow. With Buffalo’s record now at a dismal
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The loss to the Avalanche capped off a disastrous five-game losing streak, with
The truth is, the Sabres have been in this situation for far too long. The fans are fed up, and even the players are starting to admit what’s been painfully obvious:
The End of the Line for Adams and Ruff?
At this point, there is no denying that accountability must fall on both
As Tuch stated, “There’s no excuse for where we are right now.” The Sabres have been left behind in a rapidly advancing NHL, and with another playoff-less season on the horizon, it’s time for ownership to act.
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But it’s not just the front office and coaching staff that needs to change. With this current Sabres team showing no signs of getting it together, nearly
The Sabres need to shed their past — and that means moving out players who aren’t contributing to the rebuild. It’s a painful reality, but every player needs to be held accountable
for this team’s continued failure. It’s no longer about potential or promises — it’s about delivering results, and if you’re not part of the solution, you’ll be part of the problem.
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So, what now for Buffalo? The road to redemption starts with tough decisions. Kevyn Adams will need to make bold moves to reshape the roster, bringing in fresh talent to bolster the lineup. The Sabres’ defense needs a complete overhaul, and the goaltending situation is looking more desperate by the day. The team can no longer afford to let mediocrity slip by — it’s time to build a
This won’t be an easy fix, but with the right moves, Buffalo could finally start to dig itself out of this hole. The fans deserve a competitive team, and the Sabres owe it to themselves to deliver.
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There’s no sugar-coating it — the Sabres’ current path is not sustainable. Another year of misery for Buffalo fans will simply not do. As the Sabres face the harsh reality of their worst season in recent memory, one thing is clear:
The time for change is now — and for the first time in years, it feels like the Sabres have no choice but to start fresh.