The Maple Leafs were always going to be a tall order for the Sabres, given the composition of their lineups. Toronto had a veteran-laden lineup headlined by Tavares, Mitch Marner, Nazem Kadri and Morgan Reilly. Buffalo's was largely a mix of prospects, some new to the pro game.
Add in the fact that it was the Maple Leafs' (and Tavares') first home game of the preseason and the atmosphere that comes with that, and you have a good test for a young team.
"I think a lot of our young guys got a really valuable experience," Housley said. "Not only just the atmosphere, the building and the history here, but just the pace of play and just processing that because it was a high-tempo game and they looked a little bit faster than us early on."
Toronto applied pressure following Oglevie's early goal, forcing the Sabres into costly turnovers and defensive lapses. The line of Thompson, Casey Mittelstadt and Alexander Nylander was on the ice for two of Toronto's first three goals, and Thompson acknowledged that the skill of the opposition was a step above what they had seen to this point in the preseason.
"I think it was a good learning lesson," Thompson said. "I think as a team and individually, we didn't come out the way we needed to. They're a very fast and skilled team and if you give them time and space, they're going to make you pay out there."
Housley was quick to make changes, shifting the veteran Vladimir Sobotka between Thompson and Nylander and placing Mittelstadt on a line with Zemgus Girgensons and Oglevie. The Sabres began to settle down, taking an 18-16 lead in shot attempts by the end of the first period.
"It wasn't working, right? So, you try to make some changes and they got some momentum off of it," Housley said. "It was great that they responded the right way. I mean we were down 3-1, it could have been ugly. But the guys scraped their way back into the first period and gave us some life going into the second."
The names that showed up in the goal column were promising for a team looking to foster internal competition. Oglevie, Smith and Thompson have a combined 43 NHL games under their belts, but all three are promising prospects with aspirations of making the Sabres roster this season.
Smith scored his goal off an offensive-zone faceoff, beating a defender as he cut across the net to create a wide-open shot. Thompson's goal was the product of a toe-drag followed by a laser of a wrist shot from the slot.