Maple Leafs, Sabres set to tangle in Heritage Classic at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton

Morgan Rielly is of two distinct minds when it comes to NHL outdoor games.

The Maple Leafs defenceman was ecstatic when his team picked up victories over the Detroit Red Wings in 2014 and 2017.

And then there was Toronto's defeat to the Washington Capitals in 2018.

"We didn't play very well," Rielly recalled. "You leave there and you think the whole thing's dumb and you should never be playing outside.

"The ones you win, it's like the best thing ever."

Rielly will play both in his and the Leafs' fourth outdoor showcase Sunday when Toronto takes on the Buffalo Sabres in the Heritage Classic at Hamilton's Tim Hortons Field.

While the game means the same as any other in the standings, it will also take many players back to their childhood.

"It's very pure at its finest form," Toronto forward Jason Spezza said of hockey outside. "My dad would drop me off at the city rinks and I'd play for hours.

"That's where my game grew a lot. As a kid that unstructured time is amazing."

Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe initially sounded like he might turn to the 25-year-old Swede, who made seven stops in his NHL debut, with No. 1 option Jack Campbell out with a rib injury for at least the next two weeks.

But the task will instead fall to a netminder in desperate need of a solid performance.

"You want to give Petr an opportunity to get back in and respond," said Keefe, who added it would be unfair to give Kallgren his first start in an unpredictable environment on a big stage. "Petr's got experience playing outdoor games.

Mrazek actually wiggled off the hook Thursday in terms of taking the loss when the Leafs came back to tie the score before falling in overtime. His save percentage, however, dropped further to an ugly .884 for a team that's given up four goals or more in nine of its last 11 games, including a 5-1 defeat to Buffalo on March 2 that saw Toronto booed off its ice.

"We don't feel we've been very good consistently enough in front of our goalies," Leafs captain John Tavares said. "We've got to have his back and do everything we can to be solid in front of him."