Power scores in overtime as Sabres rally past Leafs 5-4; Tavares leaves game early

Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves for the Maple Leafs.

Marchenko was traded by the Columbus Blue Jackets to Toronto on Sept. 28, just before the season began and had only scored once in a Maple Leafs sweater before Thursday’s game.

Tavares left the game early in the third after he collided with Buffalo forward Josh Norris. The former Toronto captain appeared to favour his left leg as he skated off the ice.

Takeaways

Sabres: Toronto was sloppy with the puck in the first period — Quinn’s first goal came on a bad giveaway by Maple Leafs defenceman Nick Blankenburg — but the Sabres only managed eight shots to Toronto’s 15 in the frame. Buffalo clawed its way back into the game in the third with Tavares not available to anchor the Leafs’ second line.

Maple Leafs: Marchenko had played his first seven games with Toronto on the same line as Matthews but head coach Jim Hiller decided to shake up his forwards before Thursday’s game. He bumped William Nylander up to the top line with Matthews and put Marchenko on Tavares’s wing.

Key moment

Tavares passed from the slot to Marchenko as he skated backwards across the Sabres’ crease. Marchenko slid the puck between his own legs and then flipped the puck past Luukkonen 13:10 into the first for a 2-1 Toronto lead.

Key stat

Special teams remained Toronto’s calling card. It killed all three penalties, improving on its NHL-best 95.8 per cent rate entering the game. The Maple Leafs went 1 for 3 on the power play, improving on its fifth-best 29.2 per cent scoring with the man advantage.

Up next

Toronto: Hosts the New York Islanders on Saturday.

Buffalo: Visits the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Power scores in overtime as Sabres rally past Leafs 5-4; Tavares leaves game early

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