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Maple Leafs-Sabres Preview

Jan 7, 2010 - 11:02 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Toronto (15-20-9) at Buffalo (27-11-4), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The Buffalo Sabres snapped their trend of sluggish home starts in record-setting fashion. They also started slowly in four meetings with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, but those games all ended up as Buffalo victories.

The Sabres will try to extend their season-high five-game win streak Friday night with a 10th consecutive victory over the visiting Maple Leafs.

Before the opener of a three-game homestand Wednesday night, Buffalo (27-11-4) had been outscored 4-1 and outshot 54-20 in the first period of its previous five at HSBC Arena. The Sabres, though, scored three times in the first 2:11 against Tampa Bay en route to a 5-3 victory.

Tyler Myers, Jochen Hecht and Clarke MacArthur gave the Sabres the fastest three-goal start in team history. They also helped Buffalo earn its 15th victory in 21 games and extend an eight-game home point streak (6-0-2).

"It was nice to come out the way we did," Myers said. "Especially the way we started some games here in the past, we're starting to figure out we have to play a full 60 minutes if we want to win a hockey game."

The Northeast Division leaders are looking for their first six-game win streak since Dec. 12-22, 2007, and their longest point streak at home since a nine-game run from Jan. 17-March 2, 2007.

Buffalo could have a good chance to achieve that if it continues its offensive surge. The Sabres scored at least four goals in four of the past five games and at least four in three straight home wins.

Tim Connolly has led the way with a seven-game point streak, matching his career best set in January 2001 with the New York Islanders. Connolly, with a team-best 34 points, has five goals and six assists during his run.

Derek Roy has helped key the Sabres' four wins over Toronto with a team-best five points in those games. Roy, Connolly and Hecht each had two goals as Buffalo outscored the Leafs 14-6 in those victories.

The Sabres were able to win all of the meetings with Toronto even though they only led once after the first period.

The Maple Leafs (15-20-9) were outscored 14-7 in going 1-3-0 in their last four, and 35-15 while going 1-7-0 in their last eight on the road. They lost 6-2 at Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Toronto gave up the first four goals and didn't score until 4:14 remained in its third straight road loss. Rookie Jonas Gustavsson set a career high for goals allowed, but coach Ron Wilson pointed his finger in another direction.

"There's was nothing he could do on any of those goals," Wilson said. "He should sue for non-support (from his defenders)."

The choice for Wilson is whether to stick with Gustavsson, who gave up three goals in each of his three starts against the Sabres, or look to Vesa Toskala.

Toskala has a 1.99 career goals-against average in Buffalo but was pulled from a 5-2 loss there Dec. 18 after allowing four goals on six shots in the second period.

The Sabres will likely start Ryan Miller, who has slumped somewhat after a stellar start. Miller posted a 2.90 GAA over his last six games after recording a 1.89 in his first 30 contests.

He recorded a 1.47 GAA in the four wins over the Maple Leafs this season and is 21-7-0 with a 2.20 GAA in his career against Toronto.