Maple Leafs at Sabres preview

MAPLE LEAFS (19-8-0) at SABRES (17-8-3)
7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TSN4, NHL.TV

Toronto has outscored its opponents 20-8 during the streak and is 11-3-0 in its past 14 games.
The Sabres are going for their seventh straight win at home and are trying to end a three-game losing streak. They lost 2-1 to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Monday.
It's the first time the Maple Leafs, second in the Atlantic Division, and the Sabres, third in the division, have played against each other with each team in a Stanley Cup Playoff spot since Jan. 21, 2013.

Players to watch

Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner has 10 assists during a four-game point streak and 19 points (one goal, 18 assists) in his past 11 games.
Sabres forward Sam Reinhart has six points (four goals, two assists) in a four-game point streak.

They said it

"They were on that hot stretch and I think everybody in the League kind of took notice (that) they're for real and not a team that you take lightly." -- Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews on the Sabres
"You can't win 82 games in the League so that's going to come at some point. But that's going to tell us how strong we are as a team, when you lose and you've got to get back to the winning ways."-- Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen on Buffalo's three-game losing streak

Maple Leafs projected lineup

Zach Hyman -- John Tavares -- Mitchell Marner
Patrick Marleau -- Auston Matthews -- Kasperi Kapanen
Andreas Johnsson -- Nazem Kadri -- Connor Brown
Tyler Ennis -- Frederik Gauthier -- Par Lindholm
Morgan Rielly -- Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner -- Nikita Zaitsev
Travis Dermott -- Igor Ozhiganov
Frederik Andersen
Garret Sparks
Scratched: William Nylander, Martin Marincin, Justin Holl
Injured: None

Sabres projected lineup

Jeff Skinner -- Jack Eichel -- Sam Reinhart
Tage Thompson -- Casey Mittelstadt -- Kyle Okposo
Conor Sheary -- Evan Rodrigues -- Vladimir Sobotka
Patrik Berglund -- Johan Larsson -- Zemgus Girgensons
Lawrence Pilut -- Rasmus Ristolainen
Rasmus Dahlin -- Zach Bogosian
Nathan Beaulieu -- Casey Nelson
Linus Ullmark
Carter Hutton
Scratched: Matt Tennyson, Remi Elie
Injured: Jason Pominville (upper body), Marco Scandella (upper body), Jake McCabe (lower body), Scott Wilson (ankle), Matt Hunwick (neck)

Status report

Gauthier will play after being scratched the previous two games. … Sheary is expected to play after missing four games with an upper-body injury and Pominville is day to day. Housley said the rest of the lineup will be a game-time decision.

Stat pack

The Maple Leafs are 5-for-6 on the power play the past three games. … Eichel has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in nine games against Toronto.