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.
[to top of second column] |
"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.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |