Sabres continue home dominance of Leafs
Nov 27, 2010 - 7:25 AMRyan Miller returned to the lineup and made 35 saves in the win, allowing the only Toronto goal late in the third period when his own defender misplayed a loose puck.
Patrick Kaleta had a shorthanded goal for the Sabres, who snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the second time in five outings.
Buffalo killed off all six Toronto power plays and beat the Maple Leafs for the sixth straight time at home.
Toronto's Jonas Gustavsson made his fourth straight start in net for the injured Jean-Sebastien Giguere and allowed three goals on 28 shots in defeat.
Buffalo jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 7:50 of the game. Leopold scored first, netting a shot from the point, and Vanek added a goal from above the left circle.
Miller made five saves in the period, then turned aside 15 in a scoreless second. He returned from a groin injury, starting for the first time in three games.
"Any time you get your starting goaltender back it's a boost," said Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff. "We all know what he means to the team. We put a lot into what our goaltender can do for us in how we need to play and we if we have to change our style of play, it hurts us."
Buffalo extended its lead midway through the last period, converting a neutral zone turnover into a 3-0 advantage when Kaleta scored on a backhand rebound in front.
Phil Kessel scored the only Toronto goal with 3:27 remaining in the game. Miller made the initial stop on Kessel's slapshot from the left side, but the puck was misplayed in front of the Buffalo goaltender, and Kessel was able to stuff it in.
Game Notes
Toronto is 3-8-2 in its last 13 games...Giguere is out with a groin injury...Buffalo was 2-for-4 on the power play.
- TORONTO: 1
BUFFALO: 3
Final
Nov 26 10:00 PM - Toronto Short-Handed Goal - Phil Kessel (10), at 16:33.
Maple Leafs 1, Sabres 3 3rd - 3:27Nov 26 9:52 PM - TORONTO: 0
BUFFALO: 2
End of 2nd
Nov 26 9:07 PM - TORONTO: 0
BUFFALO: 2
End of 1st
Nov 26 8:18 PM - Buffalo Power-Play Goal - Thomas Vanek (9), from Derek Roy and Luke Adam at 7:50.
Maple Leafs 0, Sabres 2 1st - 12:10Nov 26 7:57 PM - TORONTO: 0
BUFFALO: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Nov 26 7:39 PM
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