Wednesday, October 29, 2014
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Leafs dominate Sabres

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[October 29, 2014]  TORONTO -- Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers stood in dressing room stall and said simply that something has to change for his team.

The Sabres were shut out for the fourth time this season and held to a franchise-worst 10 shots on goal through 60 minutes passing the previous mark of 11 set in December 1981.

"Until we as a group make up our mind that we're going to play a certain way, the way we have to play to be competitive in every game... its' just not going to work," said Myers.

Buffalo (2-8-0) dropped a 4-0 decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre on Monday night.

The Sabres scored just 11 goals total through the first 10 games of the season.

"I don't know who we think we are or what kind of team we think we are or what we've accomplished to be playing like that. We haven't done nothing to be playing a cute game," said Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges. "We don't deserve to play a cute game and until we figure out that we have to work and scratch and claw and grind and dig in order to give ourselves a chance every night to win, then we're going to have nights like this."
 

Phil Kessel recorded a goal and an assist, and goaltender Jonathan Bernier turned aside all 10 shots he faced as the Toronto Maple Leafs picked up their first home regulation win of the season,

Kessel led the way for the Maple Leafs (4-4-1) with a goal and an assist. The right winger has six points in four games against the Sabres.

Center Tyler Bozak, left winger James van Riemsdyk and defenseman Jake Gardiner had the other Toronto goals.

Bernier (2-3-1) picked up his eighth career shutout and second as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"Obviously playing like that for a full 60, that's what we wanted tonight and we did it," said Bernier. "Even when we scored that one goal, I thought we kept going and kept going and I thought we stuck to our game plan.

"You're just trying to stay focused and make the save that you should make, right? I thought we played very solid. We kept everything to the outside. Probably the best game since I've been here."

Buffalo starter Michal Neuvirth stopped 33 shots in the loss.

With the Leafs struggling to find scoring, coach Randy Carlyle put his lines in a blender at Monday's practice.

Winger David Clarkson moved up to play with van Riemsdyk and Bozak, while Kessel was on a line with center Nazem Kadri and left winger Joffrey Lupul.

The Clarkson-van Riemsdyk-Bozak line combined for two goals and an assist, while the Lupul-Kadri-Kessel line accounted for a goal and an assist.

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"It's one where the message is: 'Now that you've been able to prove to us that you can play a game that we needed to play, that we have to play, a style that we have to play with a commitment to the little things in the game that now our expectations are to carry that on to the next one,'" said Carlyle.

Toronto opened the scoring at 19:10 of the middle period when Kessel sprung Bozak in all alone. Bozak beat Neuvirth glove-side for his fourth of the season.

With the goal, Toronto ended an 0-for-24 skid with the man advantage.

Toronto scored twice in a 60-second span early in the third to take a 3-0 lead.

Kessel made it 2-0 lead at 4:18, banking a shot off of Neuvirth, from behind the net, for his fifth of the season.

"You get lucky every once in a while. Just throw it in front and fortunately it hit off him," said Kessel, who had just a goal and an assist in five home games entering Tuesday. "Sometimes you get lucky, right? Just throwing it out there and hoping that it went in."

Van Riemsdyk subsequently one-timed a Morgan Rielly feed past Neuvirth for his fourth of the season.

Gardiner made it 4-0 midway through the third. He went around the Sabres' net and beat Neuvirth, who was well out of position, for his first of the season.

"That was huge. We played a great team game tonight," said Gardiner. "You can see when we play like that, we're a good hockey team. There wasn't any selfish plays, not many one-on-one plays, got the puck deep and went to work.

"It shows we'll be successful if we keep doing those things."

NOTES: Sabres RW Chris Stewart, a native of Toronto, played his first NHL game in his hometown Tuesday. ... Buffalo C Sam Reinhart played in his eighth game of the season Monday. The Sabres have one more game to decide whether or not to send him back to junior before his entry-level contract kicks in. ... Leafs RW Carter Ashton was the lone healthy scratch for Toronto. ... The Leafs reassigned rookie D Stuart Percy on Sunday and now have just 21 players on the active roster. ... LW David Booth (foot) and RW Brandon Kozun (ankle) remain on injured reserve for the Leafs.

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