Jack Quinn and Alex Tuch both scored in the shootout and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 at KeyBank Center on Saturday.
Quinn also scored a power-play goal in regulation to erase a 2-1 deficit during the second period. The 24-year-old has six points in his last five games (including his first career hat trick against San Jose on Tuesday) and a career-high 16 goals this season.
Owen Power also scored for the Sabres, who improved to 41-20-6 with 88 points. Buffalo extended its lead in the Atlantic Division to four points over the Tampa Bay Lightning, who lost 4-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Sabres have won nine of their last 10 contests and haven’t lost consecutive games in regulation since Dec. 8.
Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll made a myriad of key stops, including a save on a high-danger chance from Zach Benson in the final seconds of the second period and a point-blank opportunity from Peyton Krebs. Woll made 30 saves for Toronto.
The Maple Leafs played their first game without captain Auston Matthews, who’s out for the season with an MCL tear. In his absence, Dakota Joshua and Max Domi scored for Toronto.
Mattias Samuelsson – who’s played in 64 of 67 games this season – was out of the lineup on Saturday. Zach Metsa slotted back in and logged acareer-highs in both shifts (21) and time on ice (15:32)
Tuch returned to the lineup after missing the last game with a lower-body injury and skated 20:52.
Alex Lyon stopped both of the Maple Leafs shooters and made 16 saves to pick up his 19th win of the season.
