Tavares' hat trick, Domi's first goal of season push Maple Leafs past Sabres

Article content

Time was, the Maple Leafs could score five goals a game with relative ease.

The offence has been a little harder to come by as the Leafs adjust to life under coach Craig Berube, but when the opponent was the lowly Buffalo Sabres, Toronto was able to find its rhythm.

The Leafs beat the Sabres 5-3 on Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena and recorded at least 40 shots on goal for just the third time in 2024-25.

John Tavares recorded his 14th career hat trick and Max Domi scored his first goal of the season in the Leafs’ 14th home win, most in the NHL.

Dennis Hildeby, in his third NHL start, made 24 saves for his second career win.

Toronto improved to 4-2-1 in the second game of back-to-back sets.

Buffalo’s downward spiral continued. The Sabres have lost 10 in a row, going 0-7-3.

It was just the fifth time this season the Leafs scored five goals in a game. Tavares completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal late in the third.

The line of Domi between Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson produced some much-needed secondary scoring for the Leafs.

Domi scored at 15:45 of the first period when his shot went up and over Sabres goalie Devon Levi. That came off a no-look pass by Robertson, who recorded his first assist of 2024-25.

Domi’s goal was his first point in 17 games. He had not been on the scoresheet since Oct. 21 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That came after Jack Quinn and Alex Tuch scored in the first three minutes of the game, both beating Hildeby with high shots.

Quinn scored at 9:11 of the second to put the visitors up 3-1.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

The Leafs, then, came to life, scoring three goals in a span of two minutes 31 seconds.

Robertson, a healthy scratch for the previous four games, got it going at 11:20, ripping a pass from Bobby McMann past Levi and into the net.

An Auston Matthews shot nicked Tavares on its way to the net for the Leafs’ third goal, coming on a power play at 12:41.

And Tavares put the Leafs up 4-3 at 13:51 when his snapshot from the slot beat a screened Levi. Chris Tanev spotted Tavares for the primary assist.

Berube made several lineup changes following the 4-2 loss in Detroit on Saturday, inserting Robertson, Ryan Reaves and Philippe Myers and scratching Fraser Minten, Pontus Holmberg and Conor Timmins.

Robertson, at least, did enough to earn another look in the Leafs’ next game on Wednesday in Dallas against the Stars.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun