Leafs @ Sabres - Apr. 3rd, 7:00pm - SNO, Fan 590

[CarltonTheBear]

@

38-24-15, 91 points | 32-34-12, 76 points

Projected Lines

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander Komarov-Kadri-Brown JVR-Bozak-Marner Martin-Boyle-Kapanen Gardiner-Zaitsev Rielly-Carrick Hunwick-Polak Andersen ​

Kane-O'Reilly-Ennis Foligno-Eichel-Reinhart Smith-Rodrigues-Gionta Carrier-Girgensons-Moulson McCabe-Ristolainen Gorges-Kulikov Falk-Bogosian Nilsson​

Scratches

Ben Smith Martin Marincin Alexey Marchenko Nikita Soshnikov Josh Leivo ​

Nicolas Deslauriers C.J. smith ​

Game Notes

TOR
?Andersen (32-15-14, 2.66 GAA, .919 Sv%) will start for the Leafs
?According to MoneyPuck.com, the Leafs' chance to make the playoffs rises to 99% if they beat the Sabres tonight

BUF
?Anders Nilsson (10-10-4, 2.73 GAA, .920 Sv%) will likely start for the Sabres
?Buffalo lost 4-2 to the Islanders last night
?Per a Sabres beat reporter, Buffalo may be calling up Alexander Nylander from their AHL team and he might make his NHL debut tonight. Nylander has 27 points in 62 games in the AHL this season. He just turned 19 years old last month
Injuries

?Nathan Horton - Back - Out indefinitely ?Joffrey Lupul - ?\_(?)_/? - Out indefinitely ?Stephane Robidas - Old - Out indefinitely ?Eric Fehr - Hand - Out indefinitely ?Nikita Soshnikov - Undisclosed - Day to day ?Josh Leivo - Undisclosed - Day to day​

?Kyle Okposo - Illness - Questionable Monday ?Cody Franson - Face - Injured Reserve ?Taylor Fedun - Foot - Injured Reserve ?Johan Larsson - Wrist - Injured Reserve ?Cody McCormick - Blood clots - Injured Reserve​

Stream Options

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[bustaheims]

A Leaf win tonight will officially take Carolina off the list of teams that can pass the Leafs, and will all but officially do the same for the Islanders.

 

[Kaberle15]

As Tampa Bay refuses to quit, this is a huge must win in the house of pain.

Go Leafs Go!!!

 

[Zee]

Win boys!!

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Sounds like Franson will play tonight. Also made some interesting comments in his morning scrum:

Terry Koshan‏ @koshtorontosun
If opportunity came to re-join #Leafs this summer as UFA, Franson: "Oh yeah, for sure." Said time in Toronto was most fun he's had in #NHL.

Elliotte Friedman also reported last month that the Leafs were sniffing around Franson at the deadline.

 

[herman]

I was in mid-post to mention this Franson news!
I really wouldn't mind!

 

[bustaheims]

As a cheap 3rd pairing Polak/Hunwick replacement, maybe . . . but, he wouldn't be high on my list. That might be a position I'd keep open to see what some of the guys on the Marlies can do.

 

[herman]

As a cheap 3rd pairing Polak/Hunwick replacement, maybe . . . but, he wouldn't be high on my list. That might be a position I'd keep open to see what some of the guys on the Marlies can do.

On the right side? Justin Holl is the only Marlie option at the moment, and that's pretty meh.

We don't have any Marlie defensemen of promise up against waiver eligibility either.

 

[bustaheims]

On the right side? Justin Holl is the only Marlie option at the moment, and that's pretty meh.

We don't have any Marlie defensemen of promise up against waiver eligibility either.

Maybe I'm much less concerned about the RHD/LHD thing than Babcock is.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

That might be a position I'd keep open to see what some of the guys on the Marlies can do.

We really don't have the luxury of doing that though, not unless we pick up a Shattenkirk or Trouba or somebody of that level. If we're going into next year with the same top-4 defencemen (Rielly/Gardiner/Zaitsev/Carrick) then the bottom pairing HAS to see a significant improvement.

 

[disco]

I'm betting they'll score another pickup from the K.

 

[herman]

Maybe I'm much less concerned about the RHD/LHD thing than Babcock is.

Fair enough.

I like Franson as an option as he can play good first pass on limited minutes, adds a relatively effective shot from the backend, and can flex into 2nd pairing for a spell, especially with our much more mobile left side.

His lack of skating might be an issue for such a speedy team, but he's a guy that can actually make a play or pass with the puck out of the zone.

Barring help coming to the first pairing, a la Carlton's point, I think Franson would be a nice add on the cheap.

 

[Kaberle15]

I'm to excited about this game to try to pretend that I'm working...

So good to be like this, can't wait for the Playoffs, expending half a day reading all I can find about the game, checking the board 100 time per game day (and 50 times on non game days)...

I'm pumped, Go Leafs Go!

 

[L K]

I can think of better players than Franson but yeah, the Leafs could do worse if we are replacing Hunlak.

 

[cujo4ever]

Hopefully Alex Nylander plays tonight for Buffalo, it would be fun to see.

Go Leafs Go!

 

[Zee]

On the right side? Justin Holl is the only Marlie option at the moment, and that's pretty meh.

We don't have any Marlie defensemen of promise up against waiver eligibility either.

Maybe I'm much less concerned about the RHD/LHD thing than Babcock is.

That would be fine if you were the Leafs coach, but you're not.  Babcock gets what he wants.

 

[ZBBM]

His lack of skating might be an issue for such a speedy team

Please connect the item in the lefthand column with its like in the righthand column.


A cigarette boat                              Cody Franson

A safe filled with sand                    2016-7 TM Leafs

 

[Zee]

This whole Franson thing seems a bit strange.  I mean he's a former Leaf and that's fine, but I don't recall a player under contract for another team openly talking about potentially going back to his old team when he becomes a UFA.  Usually they give a safe, non-committal answer like "we'll decide in the summer what my options are, I'm not closing any doors" blah blah.

 

[herman]

His lack of skating might be an issue for such a speedy team

Please connect the item in the lefthand column with its like in the righthand column.


A cigarette boat                              Cody Franson

A safe filled with sand                    2016-7 TM Leafs

Name one player that can skate faster than a pass.

 

[Can8899]

This whole Franson thing seems a bit strange.  I mean he's a former Leaf and that's fine, but I don't recall a player under contract for another team openly talking about potentially going back to his old team when he becomes a UFA.  Usually they give a safe, non-committal answer like "we'll decide in the summer what my options are, I'm not closing any doors" blah blah.

To be fair, I think he did give a non-committal answer.  I would assume that he's open to joining any team in the NHL (or most teams at least).