Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson had his first-ever two-goal game as the Buffalo Sabres bested the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Friday night.
After a slow start to his season, Tage Thompson netted the go-ahead goal 7:20 into the second period. Bowen Byram’s pass through the high slot wound up on the tape of Thompson, who made no mistake, wristing it past goaltender Anthony Stolarz.
Buffalo netminder Alex Lyon stopped 31 of 34 shots in his third win of the season.
Dakota Joshua scored his first goal as a Leaf at the start of the third period and cut the Sabres’ lead to 4-3.
Toronto star winger William Nylander went to the dressing room late in the game after taking an apparent cross-check from Jason Zucker. His status for the Maple Leafs’ Saturday home game against the Sabres was uncertain.
The game kicked off with a frenetic opening frame. Samuelsson spoiled Stolarz’s three-game shutout streak against the Sabres with a snap shot to tally his first of the season at the 4:38 mark. Nylander responded 23 seconds later on a breakaway, produced by a long lob pass from Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Buffalo forward Jiri Kulich made it three goals in 1:34 off a slick tic-tac-toe play in the slot. Auston Matthews knotted it at two apiece at the 12:45 mark with a slapped one-timer on the power play. Lyon turned away Matthew Knies in what was the Leafs’ third breakaway of the period to keep the score 2-2 after 20 minutes.
Thompson took advantage of a lackadaisical Leafs backcheck, giving him ample time to flick it in off the post to put the Sabres ahead for good in the second period. Samuelsson added an insurance marker nearly six minutes later.
Joshua recorded his first as a Leaf off a rebound in the final period.
Alex Tuch capped off the win with a short-handed goal through the legs of Stolarz, seconds after Lyon robbed Knies’ power-play effort on the doorstep.
Tuch, Thompson and Kulich each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo.
Stolarz finished the game with 25 saves. Ekman-Larsson was the lone multiple-point scorer for the visitors with a pair of assists.
The Leafs played the game without the services of injured defensemen Morgan Rielly and Chris Tanev.
Toronto is still looking for its first road win of the season. The Sabres have won four of their last five and leapfrogged the Leafs in the Atlantic Division.
–Field Level Media
