Okposo to return to lineup in Toronto

TORONTO - Kyle Okposo will be back in the lineup for the Buffalo Sabres when they play the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at Scotiabank Arena. The forward has missed four games since sustaining a concussion during a fight with New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo on Feb. 15.
Carter Hutton will be in net for the Sabres, while newly acquired defenseman Brandon Montour is traveling to Toronto but will wait until the team's game in Philadelphia on Tuesday to make his franchise debut. The rest of the lineup will be game-time decisions, with the NHL's Trade Deadline coming up at 3 p.m.
Okposo admitted to initial concerns about his well-being, given his history with head injuries. He spent time in Neuro Surgical ICU at Buffalo General after sustaining a concussion late in the 2016-17 season, then missed three games with another concussion in March of last season.

That said, Okposo affirmed that he felt OK while skating on his own in recent days.
"I think there's a physiological component to it, too," he said. "You get hit and obviously I know my history more than anybody. There's definitely that component of, 'Am I OK?' And then you start second guessing. You just got to find a balance.
"You've got to really be in tune with your body and your mind and be really honest with yourself and how you feel. I feel great."
Okposo skated on a line with Tage Thompson and Vladimir Sobotka this morning. He'd tallied three goals in 10 games prior to his injury.
Coverage on MSG-B begins at 6:30 p.m. with the GMC Game Night pregame show, or you can listen live on WGR 550. The puck drops at 7.

Scouting the Maple Leafs

It will be the second of four meetings between the cross-border rivals, with the Sabres and Maple Leafs set to meet again in Toronto on Saturday. The Maple Leafs won the first matchup in overtime, a back-and-forth affair in Buffalo on Dec. 5 in which Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews each tallied two goals.
The Maple Leafs rank fourth in the NHL with an average of 3.54 goals per game, but the Sabres can lean on strong performances in their last two games against high-powered offenses in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals. The Sabres took the first-place Lightning to a shootout on Thursday, then earned a 5-2 win over the Capitals on Saturday.
"I like how we're establishing our forecheck," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "Once we do that and make contact, it leads to good, quality offensive zone time so that's going to be critical.
"… We're trying to get the puck up quick and get back on the attack and create that three-quarter ice game. When we do that, we apply pressure."
Frederik Andersen is expected to start in net for Toronto.

Numbers to know

13 - The rivalry has brought out the best in Eichel, who has 13 points (8+5) in 10 career games against the Maple Leafs. He scored a pair of goals in the last meeting between the two teams on Dec. 5.
"It's an exciting game," Eichel said. "It's always very emotional and you never need any help getting up for them. I know we enjoy playing them, they enjoy playing us, so that shouldn't be any different tonight."
21.9 - The Maple Leafs rank 10th on the power play at 21.9 percent. Matthews is tied for eighth in the league with 11 power-play goals.
.930 -That's Hutton's save percentage in three career games against the Maple Leafs, in which he's 3-0-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average. The goaltender is coming off a 31-save outing in the win over the Capitals on Saturday.

Lines at morning skate

53 Jeff Skinner - 9 Jack Eichel - 29 Jason Pominville
43 Conor Sheary - 71 Evan Rodrigues - 23 Sam Reinhart
72 Tage Thompson - 17 Vladimir Sobotka - 21 Kyle Okposo
20 Scott Wilson - 22 Johan Larsson - 28 Zemgus Girgensons
Extra: 37 Casey Mittelstadt (illness), 65 Danny O'Regan
19 Jake McCabe - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
26 Rasmus Dahlin - 4 Zach Bogosian
82 Nathan Beaulieu - 48 Matt Hunwick
6 Marco Scandella (upper body) - 8 Casey Nelson