Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres vs. Maple Leafs 

The Buffalo Sabres will continue their five-game homestand on Saturday when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at KeyBank Center in the second game of a back-to-back set.

The Sabres opened the back-to-back with a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Friday to move within six points of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Washington currently holds the final spot with two games in hand, but the Sabres and Capitals have two head-to-head meetings remaining on Tuesday, April 2 and Thursday, April 11 in Buffalo.

With a win over Toronto and a Washington regulation loss against Boston on Saturday, the Sabres can move within four points of the second wild card ahead of their matchup with the Capitals on Tuesday.

Find the full playoff picture entering Saturday in Sabres.com’s wild card hub.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets are available here.

The game will be available exclusively on ESPN+/Hulu while Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the radio call on WGR 550.

Here are five things to know.

1. About last night

The Sabres trailed 2-0 after the first period on Friday, but responded with five unanswered goals, including four from Tage Thompson to secure the come-from-behind win.

Alex Tuch picked up a pair of assists while Devon Levi stopped 28 of 30 shots, which included nine high-danger stops, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Read more on the win in Friday’s postgame report.

2. In the crease

Levi started in the first game of the back-to-back set, setting up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for the start against Toronto, Granato confirmed.

Luukkonen has posted a 17-11-1 record since Jan. 1, recording a .921 save percentage and a 2.24 goals-against average in that span.

3. On a streak

Tuch's two assists in Friday’s win over New Jersey extended his point streak to seven games. The forward has registered 10 points (1+9) in that span and has recorded at least one assist in seven consecutive games, which is the longest assist streak of his career.

JJ Peterka added an empty-net goal against the Devils to extend his scoring streak to four games, with five goals in that span.

According to Sabres PR, a goal in Saturday’s game would make Peterka, 22, the youngest Sabres skater to record a goal streak of five or more games since Donald Audette did so in 1991.

4. The season series

Saturday’s game marks the fourth and final meeting between Buffalo and Toronto this season.

The Sabres hold the edge in the season series after posting a 2-0-1 record in the first three matchups of 2023-24.

The Sabres recorded a 6-4 win in Toronto on Nov. 4 and a 9-3 victory in Buffalo on Dec. 21 before dropping the last meeting between the two teams with a 2-1 overtime loss in Toronto on March 6.

Tuch led all players with a total of six points (2+4) in the three meetings.

5. Scouting the Maple Leafs

Toronto has won three of its last five games and currently sits in third in the Atlantic Division standings with 91 points.

Auston Matthews (59+35) and William Nylander (40+54) have paced the Maple Leafs with 94 points each while Matthews leads all NHL skaters with 59 goals this season.

Matthews is riding a six-game point streak after tallying 12 points (4+8) in the last six contests.