Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres at Maple Leafs

TORONTO -Owen Power took the Scotiabank Arena ice for an optional skate Tuesday morning, one final rehearsal before his NHL debut.
Power will play his first game with the Sabres tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 19-year-old defenseman grew up less than 30 minutes away in Mississauga, Ontario.
"I think it's extremely special," Power said. "I think anyone's NHL debut is a really special moment but to be able to have it in my hometown, with all my family here, I think it makes it that much better."
Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. The puck drops at 7.
Here are five things to know.

1. Power's debut

The Sabres signed Power, the first-overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, to his entry-level contract last Friday. Power's sophomore season with the University of Michigan had ended the night prior with an overtime loss in the Frozen Four.
The defenseman has had time to acclimate to his new surroundings in the meantime. He joined the team in Tampa on Saturday and took part in an optional skate the following morning. His first full practice on Monday happened to be in the Toronto complex he played in growing up.
Sabres alternate captain Kyle Okposo said Power seems to be taking it all in stride.
"He seems like such a calm, calm guy," Okposo said. "I'm sure he's a bit like a duck on the pond, calm exterior but things are going on underneath the surface. But you'd never be able to tell on the ice. He's just smooth and seems like he's been in the league a long time just how he's been on the ice."
Power said he will have family and friends in attendance, thought he was unsure how many.
"I think there'll be a lot," he said. "I got my mom on duty for that."

2. The lineup

Power will skate on the left side of a defense pair with Henri Jokiharju. Rasmus Dahlin will slide to the right - his off side - on a pair with Mattias Samuelsson.
Cody Eakin participated in the optional skate, but his status had not been determined by the time coach Don Granato met with the media. Eakin missed Sunday's game in Tampa due to soreness.
Granato did not announce a starting goaltender.

3. Enter the rivalry

Power not only attended games in Toronto growing up - his family also made trips to Buffalo to attend Sabres games, including one against the Maple Leafs.
"I was probably cheering for the Leafs," he said. "Obviously, that's changed now."

4. The series finale

This is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the Sabres and Maple Leafs. The Sabres won the two most recent games, a 5-1 decision in Toronto on March 1 and a 5-2 victory at the Heritage Classic in Hamilton, Ontario on March 13.
The latter matchup saw Auston Matthews deliver a cross-check to the throat of Dahlin while the two players battled in front of the net, an action that earned Matthews a two-game suspension.
"It'll be a great game," Dahlin said. "Buffalo against Toronto is always good games. We have to go out there and battle hard and so will [they]. I'm sure it'll be a fun game to watch."

5. Scouting the Leafs

The Maple Leafs clinched a playoff berth with a win over the Canadiens on Saturday. Matthews scored a pair of goals, extending his franchise-record total to 58 this season.
Matthews is the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a 50-game span since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96.
"Nothing surprises me," Granato, who coached Matthews with the U.S. National Team Development Program, said. "His talent is still untapped."
Matthews has points in 11 straight contests. His linemate, Mitchell Marner, has points in 13 straight.
Erik Kallgren will start in goal.