The Buffalo Sabres host the Toronto Maple Leafs in a key Atlantic Division matchup on 3/14/26 at KeyBank Center, and Maple Leafs Vs Sabres will be contested at 7: 00 pm ET as Buffalo attempts to snap a two-game slide while Toronto plays without its star center for the remainder of the season.
Maple Leafs Vs Sabres: Game Time, Records and Context
The Sabres enter the game with a 40-20-6 record, leading the Atlantic Division and aiming to recover after a 2-1 loss that ended an eight-game winning streak. The Maple Leafs are 28-27-11 and have struggled recently, going 1-6-2 over their past nine games.
The matchup is scheduled for 7: 00 pm ET at KeyBank Center. Buffalo will look to regain momentum after the Washington defeat, while Toronto is adjusting to a significant roster change ahead of the contest.
Availability, Injuries and Projected Goalies
Toronto will be without Auston Matthews for the season after he sustained a grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion in the team’s 6-4 win over Anaheim. Matthews left that game at 15: 47 of the second period following a knee-on-knee collision involving Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas.
Buffalo’s coaching staff listed updates on their lineup: Mattias Samuelsson is doubtful, Tanner Pearson is out, and Taylor Tuch looks like he can play; Ellis is out. Projected goaltenders available in the pregame material show Buffalo with Alex Lyon and Toronto with Anthony Stolarz listed with season statistics and records for context on form entering the game.
Why This Game Matters
Buffalo’s position atop the Atlantic Division and its recent run of wins make this home game important for maintaining separation in the standings. For Toronto, the contest is part of a stretch that has produced a sub-. 500 run, and the loss of a leading center for the season amplifies the urgency to find secondary scoring and defensive stability.
Both teams are playing with clear, immediate objectives: the Sabres to get back in the win column after their loss, and the Maple Leafs to arrest a slide while adapting to a major injury absence. The outcome will influence the Atlantic Division race and each club’s momentum as the schedule progresses.
Buffalo and Toronto meet tonight at KeyBank Center with puck drop set for 7: 00 pm ET; both teams will reveal final lineups and the official starter shortly before game time.
