It wasn’t the prettiest win of the season, but it was one of the most needed. The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled out a 4–3 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night, finally snapping a three-game skid that had begun to test the team’s confidence. The win came on the back of their captain, John Tavares, who delivered a classic veteran moment — a clean breakaway finish just 88 seconds into overtime, his 499th career goal.
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The storylines ran deep in this one. Tavares’ milestone moment, the gutsy showing from the depth players, and Cayden Primeau’s quiet steadiness in net all carried weight. But perhaps the biggest note was who wasn’t in the lineup. For the first time since April 4, 2022, William Nylander sat out a regular-season game. His lower-body injury ended a run of 266 consecutive games — an ironman streak that spoke to his consistency, competitiveness, and importance to this team.
Item 1: John Tavares Nears 500-Goal Milestone
Tavares did what he’s been doing for 15 seasons — leading by example. After the Sabres nearly ended it off the opening faceoff in overtime, the puck found Tavares, who glided through center ice, picked his spot, and beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen cleanly. The captain didn’t celebrate wildly; instead, it was that familiar, businesslike calm — the look of a man who’s been there before and knows what comes next.
Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
That goal, his 499th, puts Tavares one away from joining the NHL’s 500-goal club, a list only 48 players long. He also added an assist earlier in the game, setting up Matias Maccelli’s second-period tap-in. His fingerprints were all over the win, and you could feel the steadiness he brings when games get tight. He’s not flashy, but he’s dependable. Saturday was one of those nights when the team clearly fed off that.
Item 2: Maple Leafs Depth Players Provide a Spark
With Nylander missing for the first time in nearly three seasons, Toronto’s lineup looked thinner on paper. But the silver lining was that others finally got a chance to show what they could do — and they made the most of it. Nicholas Robertson, back in after being scratched, opened the scoring off a crisp feed from 19-year-old Easton Cowan. The assist was Cowan’s second career point, a small but promising sign for a prospect trying to prove he belongs.
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Matias Maccelli, still settling into his new role, chipped in a goal of his own. That should be a confidence-builder after a few quiet outings. And Dakota Joshua tied the game in the third with his second goal in as many nights. That’s the scoring the Maple Leafs need if they want to be more than a one-line team. These players didn’t just fill space; they filled the gap left by Nylander, who’s been one of the NHL’s top playmakers early this season with three goals and 11 assists through eight games.
Sometimes, hockey’s about timing. A night like this — when the stars aren’t all there and the team has to find a way — can plant the seed for long-term growth. You could sense it in the way the bench came alive after Joshua’s goal. The confidence was building shift by shift, player by player.
Item 3: Backup Goalie Cayden Primeau Deserves Some Credit
Primeau’s final stat line of 23 saves on 26 shots doesn’t tell the story of how solid he was. The 24-year-old goaltender made the kind of saves that keep a team believing, especially late in the third when Buffalo pressed for the win. Primeau looked calm, square, and patient, and that poise spread through the group.
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With Joseph Woll now healthy and likely to reclaim his half of the crease, this may have been Primeau’s last start for a while. But he made it count. When a team is trying to stop the bleeding after a losing streak, they need their goaltender to settle things down. Primeau did just that. His play won’t lead the highlight reels, but it gave the Maple Leafs a chance — and that’s all a team can ask from its backup.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
Head coach Craig Berube said he’s hopeful Nylander can return Tuesday when the Calgary Flames visit Scotiabank Arena for a rare 6:00 p.m. start. Given how important Nylander has been to the team’s offense — and how quietly steady he’s been over the years — his return can’t come soon enough.
Still, there’s something to be said for the way this win came together. Tavares led, the depth responded, and the backup stood tall. Sometimes, it’s not the dominant games that define a season, but the scrappy ones that remind a team who they are. The Maple Leafs didn’t just win — they rediscovered a little belief.
