The NHL schedule ain’t what it used to be. Seeing the Toronto Maple Leafs host a game on a Sunday night (5 pm) sounds off, but it’s already the second time this season. They’ll also be operating on a quick turnaround. Toronto was in Detroit on Saturday, where they fell to the Red Wings 4-2. The visitors are the perennially struggling Buffalo Sabres. They’re also on a back-to-back, after spending Saturday in Washington and losing to the Capitals, also 4-2.

The Maple Leafs are currently pegged as comfortable -200 moneyline favourites on our NHL odds. Buffalo lags at +165.

Sabres vs. Maple Leafs NHL Betting Odds

Here are some oddball facts. In the 2022 calendar year, the Sabres defeated the Maple Leafs three consecutive times before Toronto finally nabbed a win that November. The latter then won the first meeting of 2023, only for Buffalo to build another three-game winning streak. Toronto has, however, won the last two, although Sunday marks the first encounter of the 2024-25 campaign.

Buffalo defenceman Rasmus Dahlin continues to nurse his back injury, although he was seen skating earlier this week. It seems unlikely he’ll suit up on Sunday. Buffalo has every reason to win this game. The club is perilously close to suffering a 10-game slide; they’re currently experiencing an eight-game losing streak. They’ve scored more than two goals only once in their last five games. At least regarding the puckline (+1.5) the Sabres are a somewhat decent 15-15-0.

Maybe facing a Sabres squad with the 26^th goals against average (3.24) is what the doctor ordered for the Leafs. Craig Berube’s ensemble has netted two goals or fewer in four of its past five matches. Remarkably, they won one of those (a 2-1 OT win over the Devils, a game in which they were thoroughly outclassed). The news surrounding G Anthony Stolarz isn’t great. The duration of his absence is unknown, but his history of knee problems is well documented.

Buffalo Sabres

Saturday’s game away to the Capitals highlighted some of the many issues that plague this team. There are stretches during which the Sabres are so thoroughly dominated when on defence, that it’s almost a miracle when they get the puck out of their zone.

No lead is safe with them, either. Against Washington some decent pressure allowed Jason Zucker (eighth) to tap home a shot from in close for a 1-0 lead. But the Caps are excelling this season and responded just before the first period concluded. That would be the first of two power play goals the Sabres gave up. The second would make it 2-1 Washington in the middle frame. That said, Jiri Kulich (fourth) tied the game off a nice one-timer at 7:24.

However, Buffalo didn’t muster much in the third period and ultimately lost 4-2, although the final marker was an empty netter. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was solid, shielding his goal from 27 of the 30 shots he faced. Tage Thompson registered one assist and one shot in 19:12 of ice time.

Toronto Maple Leafs

It was odd seeing the Leafs lose to the Red Wings 4-2 on Saturday. Not because Detroit never stood a chance, but rather because they have such a poor attack (2.52 goals per game, 28^th). It ended up being Toronto’s scoring woes that persisted.

Their slowly improving power play netted on one of its two opportunities versus the Red Wings. That came off Auston Matthews’ (10^th) stick, who ripped a one-timer via a Mitchell Marner pass in the middle frame. That tied the match 1-1. Toronto’s other goal also levelled the terms 2-2 in the third period through Matthew Knies (11^th), not to mention through traffic.

But Detroit proved annoyingly persistent on this day. Their pressure on an offensive rush ultimately led to Jeff Petry’s game-winning goal moments after Toronto had tied it. An empty net marker made it a 4-2 final.

For those keeping score, Marner’s two helpers gave him 30 on the season.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Sabres vs. Maple Leafs?

• Regular Season

Sabres Team Leaders

BUF

Points	Tage Thompson 58
+ / -	Alex Tuch 12
Shots	Tage Thompson 181
Penalty Mins	Jason Zucker 55
Wins	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 21
GAA	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 3.19

TOR

Points	Mitch Marner 80
+ / -	Jake McCabe 21
Shots	William Nylander 213
Penalty Mins	Max Domi 49
Wins	Joseph Woll 22
GAA	Anthony Stolarz 2.37

• Regular Season

Maple Leafs Team Leaders

BUF

Points	Tage Thompson 58
+ / -	Alex Tuch 12
Shots	Tage Thompson 181
Penalty Mins	Jason Zucker 55
Wins	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 21
GAA	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 3.19

TOR

Points	Mitch Marner 80
+ / -	Jake McCabe 21
Shots	William Nylander 213
Penalty Mins	Max Domi 49
Wins	Joseph Woll 22
GAA	Anthony Stolarz 2.37

Injuries

Buffalo

JJ Peterka (RW)

Out Fri Lower Body - 11 / 03 / 25

Jiri Kulich (C)

Ques Wed Illness - 08 / 03 / 25

Jordan Greenway (LW)

Ques Mon Illness - 07 / 03 / 25

Jack Quinn (RW)

Ques Sat Illness - 07 / 03 / 25

Jason Zucker (LW)

Ques Mon Lower Body - 27 / 02 / 25

Jason Zucker (LW)

Ques Tues Undisclosed - 24 / 02 / 25

Alex Tuch (RW)

Ques Tues Undisclosed - 23 / 02 / 25

Dylan Cozens (C)

Ques Sat Lower Body - 05 / 02 / 25

Beck Malenstyn (LW)

Ques Sat Back - 05 / 02 / 25

Mattias Samuelsson (D)

Out indefinitely Lower Body - 04 / 02 / 25

Toronto

Steven Lorentz (C)

Ques Wed Undisclosed - 02 / 03 / 25

Joseph Woll (G)

Ques Sun Illness - 28 / 02 / 25

Max Pacioretty (LW)

Out Indefinitely Undisclosed - 20 / 02 / 25

Conor Timmins (D)

Ques Sat Upper Body - 05 / 02 / 25

Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D)

Ques Thurs Lower Body - 01 / 02 / 25

Matthew Knies (LW)

Prob Sat Upper Body - 23 / 01 / 25

Connor Dewar (C)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 21 / 01 / 25

Max Pacioretty (LW)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 20 / 01 / 25

John Tavares (C)

Prob Sat Lower Body - 15 / 01 / 25

Jake McCabe (D)

Out indefinitely Upper Body - 06 / 01 / 25

Injuries

Buffalo

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
JJ Peterka (RW)	Out Fri	Lower Body - 11 / 03 / 25	0-1	0-1	+ -
Peterka is nursing with a lower body injury, and he will not be active against the Golden Knights on Friday.
Jiri Kulich (C)	Ques Wed	Illness - 08 / 03 / 25	1-0	1-0	+ -
Kulich is ailing with an illness, and it is unclear if he will suit up against the Red Wings on Wednesday.
Jordan Greenway (LW)	Ques Mon	Illness - 07 / 03 / 25	1-0	1-0	+ -
Greenway exited the last contest due to an illness, and it is uncertain if he will play against the Oilers on Monday.
Jack Quinn (RW)	Ques Sat	Illness - 07 / 03 / 25	1-0	1-0	+ -
Quinn exited the last contest due to Illness, and it is unknown if he will suit up against the Panthers on Saturday.
Jason Zucker (LW)	Ques Mon	Lower Body - 27 / 02 / 25	2-4	4-2	+ -
Zucker is managing a lower body injury, and it is undetermined if he will be active against the Oilers on Monday.
Jason Zucker (LW)	Ques Tues	Undisclosed - 24 / 02 / 25	3-4	5-2	+ -
Zucker is hampered by an undisclosed injury, and it is up in the air if he will feature against the Ducks on Tuesday.
Alex Tuch (RW)	Ques Tues	Undisclosed - 23 / 02 / 25	3-4	5-2	+ -
Tuch is dealing with a undisclosed injury, and it is unknown if he will suit up against the Ducks on Tuesday.
Dylan Cozens (C)	Ques Sat	Lower Body - 05 / 02 / 25	3-6	6-3	+ -
Cozens is dealing with an lower body injury, and it is up in the air if he will get back on the ice against the Predators on Saturday.
Beck Malenstyn (LW)	Ques Sat	Back - 05 / 02 / 25	3-6	6-3	+ -
Malenstyn is managing with a back injury, and it is unclear if he will face the Rangers on Saturday.
Mattias Samuelsson (D)	Out indefinitely	Lower Body - 04 / 02 / 25	4-6	7-3	+ -
Samuelsson has wound up on the injured reserve list due to a lower body injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.

Toronto

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Steven Lorentz (C)	Ques Wed	Undisclosed - 02 / 03 / 25	0-4	2-2	+ -
Lorentz is hampered with an undisclosed injury, and it is up in the air if he will participate against the Golden Knights on Wednesday.
Joseph Woll (G)	Ques Sun	Illness - 28 / 02 / 25	0-5	3-2	+ -
Woll is dealing with an illness, it is unclear if he will play against the Penguins on Sunday
Max Pacioretty (LW)	Out Indefinitely	Undisclosed - 20 / 02 / 25	2-6	5-3	+ -
Pacioretty has been placed on the long term injured reserve list with an undisclosed injury, and there is no timetable for return.
Conor Timmins (D)	Ques Sat	Upper Body - 05 / 02 / 25	5-6	7-4	+ -
Timmins suffered an upper body injury, and it is unclear if he will take part in Saturday's clash against the Hurricanes.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D)	Ques Thurs	Lower Body - 01 / 02 / 25	5-7	7-5	+ -
Ekman-Larsson missed the previous game with a lower body injury, and it has yet to be established if he will be active against the Kraken on Thursday.
Matthew Knies (LW)	Prob Sat	Upper Body - 23 / 01 / 25	6-9	8-7	+ -
Knies is nursing an upper-body injury, but he is likely to be active against the Oilers on Saturday.
Connor Dewar (C)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 21 / 01 / 25	7-9	9-7	+ -
Dewar has landed on the injured reserve list with an upper body injury, and he is without a definitive timetable for recovery.
Max Pacioretty (LW)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 20 / 01 / 25	7-9	9-7	+ -
Pacioretty has wound up on the injured reserve list due to an upper body injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
John Tavares (C)	Prob Sat	Lower Body - 15 / 01 / 25	8-10	10-8	+ -
Tavares is dealing with a lower-body injury, but he is expected to be available against the Oilers on Saturday.
Jake McCabe (D)	Out indefinitely	Upper Body - 06 / 01 / 25	8-14	11-11	+ -
McCabe has wound up on the injured reserve list due to an upper body injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.