Maple Leafs 4, Sabres 2
TORONTO -- Left winger James van Riemsdyk scored two goals as the Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.
Left winger Nikolai Kulemin and left winger Mason Raymond also scored for the Maple Leafs (12-7-1), who ended the Sabres' two-game winning streak.
Defenseman Jamie McBain and center Tyler Ennis scored for the Sabres (5-16-1).
It was the Sabres' second game under interim coach Ted Nolan, who took over the team on Wednesday. The Sabres won the first game with Nolan behind the bench on Friday in Buffalo.
Maple Leafs goalkeeper James Reimer stopped 33 of 35 shots. Buffalo goalkeeper Jhonas Enroth stopped 18 of 22 shots.
The Sabres, who entered the third period trailing by three goals, cut into the lead early. They snapped Reimer's attempt for a second shutout of the season when McBain slapped home his second goal of the season from the edge of the left faceoff circle at 2:15 of the third period.
The Sabres cut the lead to 3-2 at 6:11 on a power-play goal by Ennis, his third goal of the season.
Buffalo's second goal followed a skirmish that resulted in Buffalo left winger John Scott being assessed four minutes for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct.
Leafs left winger Frazer McLaren received four minutes for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct and right winger Colton Orr was given two minutes for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct. Buffalo center Cody McCormick was assessed a two-minute roughing penalty and Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf picked up a cross-checking minor in the altercation.
Raymond scored his seventh goal of the season at 18:56 of the third period at 18:56 to put the game away for the Leafs.
The Leafs took a 3-0 lead at 11:49 of the second period when Kulemin snapped in his first goal of the season from the right faceoff circle off a pass from Raymond.
The Leafs led 2-0 after dominating the first period.
Van Riemsdyk, who was back on the wing after being pressed into service as a center, scored his first goal of the game at 5:45 of the first period. He tipped in defenseman Cody Franson's shot from the right point while screening Enroth.
The Leafs needed only eight seconds on the power play to take advantage of a holding penalty to defenseman Christian Ehrhoff when van Riemsdyk again tipped in a shot by Franson for his ninth goal of the season at 13:35.
NOTES: The Maple Leafs, who are missing their top three centers, acquired C Peter Holland and RW Brad Staubitz in a trade on Saturday with the Anaheim Ducks. The Leafs sent Anaheim D Jesse Blacker, a 2014 seventh-round draft pick and a 2014 third-round pick that becomes a second-rounder if Holland plays 25 NHL games. ... Holland played Saturday against the Sabres, and RW Troy Bodie and Staubitz were assigned to the American Hockey League Marlies. ... C Nazem Kadri (suspension), C Dave Bolland (cut ankle tendon) and C Tyler Bozak (hamstring) were out of the Leafs' lineup. ... Sabres D Nikita Zadorov, 18, a first-round pick in 2013 who did not play Saturday, is expected to be returned to his junior team at London, Ontario. ... After defeating the Maple Leafs 3-1 at Buffalo on Friday, the Sabres are 10-1-2 in their home games of home-and-home series with Toronto. The loss came Dec. 20, 1970.
