Observations: Alex Tuch scores twice in return to propel Sabres’ comeback win

TORONTO – Alex Tuch was ready.

When Tage Thompson sent a backhand pass to the front of the net in the third period Monday, Tuch was there to finish the play with a quick shot past Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray to tie the score and silence the crowd in Scotiabank Arena.

Tuch and his non-stop motor were back in the Sabres’ lineup against their rival to the north, stabilizing a top line that has struggled to find space in the offensive zone over the past week. His teammates saw their deficit grow in the playoff race during his eight-game absence with a lower-body injury.

Energized by the return of their do-it-all, first-line right wing, the Sabres used their speed to rebound from allowing two goals in a span of 3:02 in the second period. Jack Quinn cut the deficit to one by batting the puck out of mid-air past Murray, then Thompson and Tuch connected to tie it.

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Dylan Cozens continued the rally by depositing a loose puck into the Maple Leafs’ net for the Sabres’ third consecutive goal Monday night, and Tuch added his second of the game to give Buffalo the cushion it needed in a 4-3 win. 

The Sabres (33-28-5) surpassed their win total from last season and earned a much-needed win after going 1-5-1 in their previous seven games to draw within five points of the New York Islanders for the second wild-card playoff spot. Anderson made 22 saves, including his 2-on-0 stop late in regulation, and Tuch made it four goals in a row for Buffalo with his 30th of the season.

Toronto cut Buffalo’s lead to 3-2 when William Nylander scored with 1:01 left, but it was only the second time all season that it lost after leading at the second intermission. The Maple Leafs (40-18-8) won six of their previous eight games and owned a plus-49 goal differential on the season, yet they couldn’t contain the Sabres’ speed for much of the game.

The responsible defensive approach the Sabres used in a 2-1 overtime loss Saturday to the Rangers carried over to their latest game against the Maple Leafs. Buffalo allowed only one notable scoring chance during the first period, when it was outshot 12-3 but defended well in front of Anderson.

Another awkward bounce led to the opening goal. Maple Leafs forwards Mitch Marner and Alexander Kerfoot skated toward Anderson for a 2-on-1 they couldn’t covert, but the puck bounced off a skate and back to the slot. Auston Matthews was there to quickly shoot it past Anderson for a 1-0 lead 1:11 into the second period.

The Sabres didn’t collapse after the goal, but the Maple Leafs took advantage of their next opportunity. Calle Jarnkrok carried the puck down the right wing with Matthews cutting toward the net. Jarnkrok skated with it over the blue line and cut across the slot with a toe drag before beating Anderson with a low shot to make it 2-0 with 15:47 left in the second period.

Somehow, the moment wasn’t deflating for the Sabres. They outshot the Maple Leafs, 15-0, over the final 15 minutes of the period, including Quinn’s goal with 5:12 remaining when the rookie winger whacked the puck out of the air to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Sabres went 0 for 2 on the power play during the second period and had 84 percent of the shot attempts at 5-on-5 while the Maple Leafs looked complacent. Toronto had only one high-danger scoring chance in the middle frame, compared to Buffalo’s four, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Tuch scored his 29th goal of the season on the pass from Thompson – point No. 87 for Buffalo’s No. 1 center – to tie the score 2-2 with 16:21 left in regulation. Anderson was forced to make consecutive saves on John Tavares and Michael Bunting when the Maple Leafs forwards had the puck around the net with an opportunity to regain the lead.

The Sabres answered with Cozen’s goal to make it 3-2 with 10:21 left in regulation, then Tuch added another on the power play as Buffalo held on to snap a four-game winless streak.

Here are other observations from the game:

The Sabres needed Owen Power to take on a heavier workload with Mattias Samuelsson out and Rasmus Dahlin managing a bothersome injury. Power was tremendous from the outset, showing poise with and without the puck. He was a key cog on the Sabres’ penalty kill and handled the Maple Leafs’ pressure on the breakout.

Quinn continues to take advantage of the opportunity to learn in the NHL. The 21-year-old winger’s goal in the second period was his 13th of the season, tied for six among all rookies, and he has 30 points through 59 games. He has five goals in 16 games since the All-Star break, another sign that he’s continuing to improve while dealing with the tight-checking nature of late regular-season hockey.

Without the goal, Quinn was likely facing a stern talk from the coaches because he forced a pass rather than shooting from the left circle. His response was meaningful, though. Quinn became the first Sabres rookie since Victor Olofsson in 2019-20 to record 13 or more goals in a season. Quinn, Power and JJ Peterka became the first trio of Buffalo rookies with at least 25 points in a season since Calle Johansson, Ray Sheppard and Pierre Turgeon in 1987-88.

The Sabres caught a break in the first period when Matthews’ one-timer from the right circle was blocked by Dahlin. Otherwise, Buffalo defended well in the opening period and didn’t allow any rush chances because its forwards were responsible with the puck. Anderson helped the Sabres kill a penalty with three saves. Power made multiple defensive plays to prevent the Maple Leafs from getting high danger scoring opportunities around Anderson.

Olofsson couldn’t avoid a seat in the press box for another game with Tuch back. It’s been a frustrating stretch for Olofsson, who has one goals and four points with a minus-14 rating in his last 15 games. He ranks 10th on the team in individual shot quality during that span, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Sabres have been outscored 14-4 with him on the ice during that span, including 7-1 during Tuch’s eight-game injury absence.

Granato explained to reporters last week that he wants to see Olofsson get to the inside more, like Olofsson did last season while playing through a wrist injury. It seems unlikely that Olofsson will be with Buffalo in the fall. He has one year remaining on his contract, and the Sabres have two prominent prospects who will be pushing for a roster spot: Jiri Kulich and Matt Savoie.  

Vinnie Hinostroza and Kale Clague were also healthy scratches, while Samuelsson and Eric Comrie are out week to week because of injury.

The Sabres’ road trip continues Wednesday against the Washington Capitals in Capital One, then wraps Friday in Philadelphia with a game against the Flyers. Both games start at 7 p.m.

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