WATCH: Auston Matthews records third hattrick of 2023-24 season despite 6-4 loss against Buffalo Sabres

Auston Matthews recorded his third and career's tenth hattrick of the season in his side's disappointing 6-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

WATCH: Auston Matthews records third hattrick of 2023-24 season despite 6-4 loss against Buffalo Sabres

Auston Matthews celebrating against the Buffalo Sabres (Pic Credit: X)

There seems to be no stopping Auston Matthews this season. The talented Toronto Maple Leafs forward recorded his third hat trick of the season. However, it came in a losing cause as his side suffered a 6-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

The Maple Leafs entered this game having lost three games on the spin. Their recent 3-2 loss against the Boston Bruins saw tempers flare among players. The match soon dominated the headlines regarding the action by Brad Marchand against Timothy Liljegren. The hosts tried to forget that and get back on the winning track when they took the field on Saturday.

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The first came during the power play in the second period. William Nylander‘s pass was straight to him, and the American international slammed his shot into the back of the net. This leveled the game at 2-2. The hosts once again found themselves down, and once again, Matthews came to their rescue in the third period to make it 3-3.

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A little deflection of Mark Giordano‘s shot helped Matthews claim his third goal of the game. This was the third time he had leveled the score, as he made it 4-4. Unfortunately, his heroics went to waste as the Sabres scored twice again to win the game 6-4 and break the hearts of the home fans.

Maple Leafs suffer 4th consecutive loss as the season takes a massive stumble

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a dream straight to the season as Auston Matthews led them from the front. The player recorded back-to-back hattricks to open the season. However, they now seem to be awakened from this dream, as they have now lost four games on the bounce.

The major issue for them has been their defense this season. While the Maple Leafs have been able to score with their attack blooming, their defense has been unable to close out games.

Toronto Maple Leafs-Buffalo Sabres
A snip of the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres (Pic Credit: The Canadian Press)

The score could have been even worse if not for goaltender Joseph Woll‘s 35 saves. He tried his best to keep the team in the game. The sixth goal came as a result of the Maple Leafs throwing everyone forward to grab the equalizer and head into overtime. Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres made full use of the empty goal to seal an important victory for his side.

The Leafs are now fourth in the Atlantic Division, level on points with the Sabres. They will hope to bring an end to this four-game slump when they face the Tampa Bay Lightning next. The Sabres, meanwhile, will face the Carolina Hurricanes in their next match.

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