SABRES SCORE ONLY GOAL IN 1ST PERIOD, BUT MATTHEWS TIES IT EARLY IN 2ND

1. The Leafs brought their undefeated (3-0-0) pre-season record to Buffalo Saturday, but Toronto found itself trailing after one period when they got in penalty trouble and Sabres winger Kyle Okposo scored a power play goal at 4:17 of the opening frame. That turned out to be the lone goal of the first, although the Leafs outshot the Sabres 12-9. But Toronto didn't waste time evening the score in the second, as winger Tyler Ennis floated a perfect pass from just inside Buffalo's blueline all the way down to the right of Buffalo goalie Carter Hutton, and Matthews chopped it up top for his second pre-season goal.

That turned out to be the lone goal of the first, although the Leafs outshot the Sabres 12-9. But Toronto didn't waste time evening the score in the second, as winger Tyler Ennis floated a perfect pass from just inside Buffalo's blueline all the way down to the right of Buffalo goalie Carter Hutton, and Matthews chopped it up top for his second pre-season goal.

Video: TOR@BUF: Matthews redirects Ennis' perfect pass

Matthews' hand-eye coordination is one of his biggest weapons, and Ennis' setup showed his vision and timing was impressive as well. 
 

Leafs start pre-season series against Buffalo with high-octane, high-scoring win over Sabres.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has signed forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev to a three-year entry level contract.

MATTHEWS, MARLEAU HOOK UP TO PRODUCE GAME'S FIRST GOAL

1. Wednesday's pre-season game was the second in as many nights between the Leafs and Senators, but the rosters for both squads were drastically different - and in the first preseason action for Auston Matthews and Patrick Marleau, the forwards connected for the game's first goal at 4:15 of the second period.

Marleau set up Matthews beautifully down low and to the right of Senators' goalie Craig Anderson, and when you give a talent like Matthews an open net, there's no question what will happen next. In this case, it was the breaking of a scoreless tie that lasted more than a full period.

Video: TOR@OTT: Matthews slots home Marleau's pass

TAVARES TIES GAME WITH FIRST GOAL AS A LEAF

1. Yes, this was a pre-season game (staged in Lucan, Ont., as a matter of fact), but that didn't have any effect on the intensity between the two Ontario rivals as they kicked off the first game of each club's schedule. And the Senators took pride in striking first - just 21 seconds into the contest - on a goal from veteran winger Ryan Dzingel. But less than five minutes later, with Toronto on its first power play of the night, new Leafs centre John Tavares took a pass from winger Mitch Marner deep in the Sens' zone, calmly walked out in front of netminder Mike Condon, and ripped a shot into the net for his first goal as a Leaf.

Tavares showed little emotion after the power play marker tied the game, but over the course of his nine-year NHL career, Tavares has always kept his emotions in check. However, it's always good to remove a potential talking point among fans, and registering his first goal right away is a terrific harbinger of what's to come for both him as an individual, and for Toronto's offensive special team.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Sunday that the hockey club has trimmed their training camp roster. The Maple Leafs now have 46 players (26 forwards, 16 defencemen and four goaltenders) remaining in camp.

When Kyle Dubas was named Leafs General Manager in May, he reached the pinnacle of the job pyramid in professional hockey. And with his first training camp as the steward of the storied club now underway, he is confident the process that helped him ascend to the job will benefit the team now as it focuses on a blossoming into a true Stanley Cup frontrunner.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Thursday the club's 2017-18 regular season broadcast schedule. All Maple Leafs' games will be televised live on Sportsnet (56 games) and TSN (26 games), while Sportsnet 590 The FAN and TSN Radio 1050 will once again divide games evenly between the two radio networks. 

The excitement for the upcoming season was obvious as the Maple Leafs gathered officially for the first time Thursday afternoon at Mastercard Centre. Although much of the personnel from last year's club are returning, the atmosphere felt fresh and new - and well it should: the organization has a new General Manager in Kyle Dubas, a new crucial piece in centre John Tavares and a resolute determination to take the next step competitively and reward the unwavering support of Leafs Nation.

The Leafs have landed in Laval to prepare for this weekend's Rookie Showdown, a round-robin tournament featuring top prospects from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.