This is their first meeting since that Sept. 22 preseason game which featured a line brawl, a 10-game suspension for David Clarkson, a pre-season suspension for Phil Kessel and a fine for former Buffalo coach Ron Rolston for putting tough guy John Scott on the ice when tempers were boiling over.
However, don't believe that the two teams will pick up where they left off. No chaos because the league always warns teams with a history of bad blood and will be punished harshly if it happens again. Also, Rolston was fired this week and the Sabres have bigger issues than a feud with the Maple Leafs. Ted Nolan, the new head coach of the Sabres, is back behind the bench in Buffalo for the first time since 1997.
So they can't brawl tonight. And John Scott is back on the ice and he believes he wants to change his image. But the Sabres also need to change the way they play, because they've had a poor showing on offense and the defense hasn't been able to help Ryan Miller or Jhonas Enroth keep pucks out of the net. As for the Maple Leafs, they've got three guys out right now, one to suspension and two to injury. But despite what their troubles might be right now, I think the Sabres have it worse because they don't have a general manager and the culture and the way they play offense needs to play. Right now, it's being exposed by the better teams. I think the Maple Leafs will find a way to expose them tonight, one way or another. These things don't just change overnight. They take time and right now is not the time for them to change. The Maple Leafs are too fast and too strong for Buffalo to contend with. So with that said, I think the Maple Leafs walk into Buffalo tonight and walk out with a win.
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