The Sabres have been a different team since the first week of the season. Here are some things to take note of in the early going.

The Sabres' goalie situation is deep, forcing management to make difficult decisions. Will Buffalo trade a netminder to address their needs, or hang onto their goalies as insurance policies in case one or more goalies get hurt?

When the Edmonton Oilers shipped Ryan McLeod and prospect Tyler Tullio to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Matt Savoie, the trade was seen as a gamble by both sides.

The Sabres fell to the Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime, but the ingredients of their strong recent play remained intact. They held their opponent to 22 shots with tight, persistent checking. Both special teams units continued to excel. Physicality was met with timely responses.

As the Buffalo Sabres return to KeyBank Center, the focus shifts to three players who could define their matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets: Michael Kesselring, Rasmus Dahlin, and Ryan McLeod.

John Tavares scored his 499th NHL goal on a breakaway at 1:28 of overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 on Saturday night to end a three-game losing streak.

BUF 3, TOR 4 | OT, 1:28 – John Tavares (5) from Matthew Knies (8) The Sabres return home, where they've won four straight, to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Tickets are available here. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:45 p.m., with MSG's pregame coverage beginning at 6.

John Tavares scored his 499th NHL goal on a breakaway at 1:28 of overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 on Saturday night to end a three-game losing

Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out.

Jack Quinn also had a night to remember with two assists and a power-play goal, while Tyson Kozak earned praise from a basketball great.

Stolarz has carried the workload for Toronto to begin the season, with Joseph Woll taking a leave of absence from the team (he's officially back now). The 31-year-old has started in seven of the Maple Leafs' first nine games of the year.