> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Game Preview: Sparks recalled, backing up McElhinney against Buffalo - URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/preview-toronto-maple-leafs-buffalo-sabres-garret-sparks-recalled-curtis-mcelhinney/ - Published: 2018-03-15T15:05:33.000Z - Updated: 2018-03-15T15:05:33.000Z - Description: No Matthews, Andersen, Eichel, Okposo. Exciting. - Author: Hardev - Tags: Game Coverage, #chorus, #Import 2023-04-05 11:27 ### Maple Leafs vs. Sabres : Game # 71 ### Time: 7:00 PM EDT **Location:** KeyBank Center, Buffalo **Broadcast: TSN4, MSG - Buffalo** **Opponent SBNation Site:** [**Die By The Blade**](https://www.diebytheblade.com/?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) The Maple Leafs are travelling down the QEW to their second home without goaltender Frederik Andersen. Freddy suffered an [“upper-body injury”](https://twitter.com/HennyTweets/status/974108607707987968?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) during last night’s game against the Dallas Stars. The supposed incident was when Roman Polak pushed Alex Radulov onto Freddy during a battle in front. > Leafs say upper-body for Frederik Andersen and that he's done for the night. Here's another angle on Alex Radulov being sent into Andersen by Roman Polak. Radulov's leg/knee goes straight into Andersen's mask on the way down. [pic.twitter.com/OHf63hoagP](https://t.co/OHf63hoagP?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) > > — Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) [March 15, 2018](https://twitter.com/JeffVeillette/status/974090483520720896?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) As a result, Garret Sparks was called up to the big club for the first time since April 9th, 2017\. That night, the Leafs played Game 82 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, one day after Connor Brown and Curtis McElhinney combined to clinch the first playoff berth in four years for the Leafs in the win over Pittsburgh. --- #### Related [Frederik Andersen out vs Buffalo and Garret Sparks in](https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/frederik-andersen-out-vs-buffalo-sabres-toronto-maple-leafs-garret-sparks-in/) --- Okay, let’s rip the band-aid. The last time these two teams met, Leo Komarov scored twice, Matt Martin looked like an All-Star, and the Leafs lost their fourth in a row. The Sabres were able to jump to a 2-0 lead early in the game, forcing the Leafs to play catch-up for the rest of the night. Since that game, the Leafs have played two hard-fought games against a couple of challenging teams in the Stars and Pens. They won’t come out flat on the second half of a back-to-back against a team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, right? ### [Toronto Maple Leafs](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/toronto-maple-leafs?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) ### Forward Lines Zach Hyman - William Nylander - Mitchell Marner Patrick Marleau - Nazem Kadri - Leo Komarov James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Connor Brown Andreas Johnsson - Tomas Plekanec - Kasperi Kapanen *Not Playing: Josh Leivo, Matt Martin, Dominic Moore.* #### Defence Pairings Morgan Rielly - Ron Hainsey Jake Gardiner - Roman Polak Travis Dermott - Connor Carrick #### Goaltenders Curtis McElhinney Garret Sparks ### Buffalo Sabres #### Forward Lines Scott Wilson - Ryan O’Reilly - Sam Reinhart Benoit Pouliot - Johan Larsson - Jason Pominville Zemgus Girgensons - Evan Rodrigues - Nick Baptiste Jordan Nolan - Jacob Josefson - Jordan Nolan #### Defence Pairings Marco Scandella - Rasmus Ristolainen Brendan Ghule - Casey Nelson Viktor Antipin - Justin Falk Josh Gorges #### Goaltenders Robin Lehner - projected starter Chad Johnson 2015 second-overall pick Jack Eichel has been skating and is close to a return but it will not be tonight against the Leafs. Evander Kane was traded to San Jose, and Kyle Okposo remains out [indefinitely](https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/sabres-forward-kyle-okposo-diagnosed-concussion/?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) with a concussion leaving the already barren Sabres forward group with a serious lack of fire-power. And do we even have to talk about their defense? Top left-defenseman Marco Scandella reportedly wasn’t at morning skate and the group that was left behind to skate rushes was...something. > Sabres' defense with no Marco Scandella this morning: > Gorges-Ristolainen > Guhle-Nelson > Antipin-Beaulieu > Falk > > — John Vogl (@BuffNewsVogl) [March 15, 2018](https://twitter.com/BuffNewsVogl/status/974292028816228352?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) For the Leafs, Mike Babcock was forced to run his horses for the majority of last night’s game where his team was trailing for the majority of it. Babcock was asked about Andreas Johnsson’s play and simply said, “He didn’t get as much opportunity because we were chasing the game.” Johnsson only played 7:34, and his linemates Kasperi Kapanen and Tomas Plekanec only played about nine minutes as well. Babcock went on to say, “When I’m ahead and managing the game, I play everybody and everyone plays lots. When you’re chasing the game, I’m just playing who I gotta play.” This was clear in the boxscore as Mitchell Marner, Nazem Kadri, James van Reimsdyk, Tyler Bozak, and Patrick Marleau all played over 18 minutes. On the second half of a back-to-back, the emphasis must be on getting a lead early and cycling through the bench so no one gets hurt because they played too much. C’mon. It’s Buffalo. > [pic.twitter.com/67FeByGAZ8](https://t.co/67FeByGAZ8?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) > > — Flintor (@TheFlintor) [March 6, 2018](https://twitter.com/TheFlintor/status/970839714545586176?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) --- Update, it seems like someone else like Matt Martin in the last Buffalo game, too: > Andreas Johnsson out, Matt Martin in for [#Leafs](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Leafs?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) vs. Sabres. Mike Babcock doesn’t think there’s “a lot going on” with Frederik Andersen’s status, but Garret Sparks will back-up tonight. Still no update on Nikita Zaitsev. > > — Kristen Shilton (@kristen\_shilton) [March 15, 2018](https://twitter.com/kristen%5Fshilton/status/974311592555925507?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)