The Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs will do battle in an Atlantic Division matchup in the NHL on Tuesday night. These teams have gone in opposite directions lately, with the Sabres working their way into playoff contention, while the Maple Leafs have struggled mightily in recent outings. Here, I break down this division matchup in the NHL and give you my Sabres vs Maple Leafs prediction on the ice.
Our Sabres vs Maple Leafs Pick
Sabres ML ATS PRO
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Date & Time: Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
Venue: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent form
Buffalo has won three straight games, including a 5-0 road win over the Islanders on January 24 and a 5-3 win at Nashville on January 20.
Toronto has dropped four straight games coming into this contest. They have been outscored 18-8 over that span.
This is the fifth straight road game for the Sabres and it will be interesting to see how they handle that scheduling here.
Goaltending
We should see Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in net for the Sabres in this game. He has a team-best 2.66 GAA this season and has been a major factor in the recent winning ways of Buffalo.
Toronto is expected to go with Anthony Stolarz in goal in this contest. Stolarz has had a rough go of it this season, posting a 3.63 GAA on the year.
Key skaters
Tage Thompson has been an all-around threat for the Sabres this season. He enters this contest with 27 goals and 26 assists for the season.
Auston Matthews is more important than ever for the Maple Leafs right now. He leads the Leafs with 25 goals on the year. With WIlliam Nylander out due to injury, Matthews has to make his presence felt for his team to have a chance here.
Betting Trends & H2H
These teams are 1-1 against each other so far this season.
The home team has won each of the first two games between these teams during the 2025-26 season.
Toronto is 22-30 in the puckline market going into Tuesday night's play.
The Sabres are 29-21 on the puckline this season.
Sabres vs Maple Leafs Model Projection
Score Projection: Buffalo 4 – Toronto 3
Win Probability: Buffalo 55%, Toronto 45%
Final Thoughts
The Sabres are on a hot streak, winning seven of their last 10 games, while the Leafs are in the middle of a free fall without their top all-around skater available. I'm expecting these teams to continue on their recent trajectories, and for the Sabres to pick up a win on the road in this division matchup. Expect the Sabres to continue their march up the Atlantic Division with a win against the struggling Leafs.
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