BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Defensive-minded defenseman Mattias Samuelsson had the first multi-goal game of his NHL career to lead the Sabres in a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night at KeyBank Center.
Tage Thompson and Jiri Kulich each had a goal and an assist, Alex Tuch sealed the win with a shorthanded goal late in the third period, and Alex Lyon made 29 saves as Buffalo won for the fourth time in five games and beat its rival for the first time in six meetings. The teams play again Saturday night in Toronto.
With a .500 record for the first time this season, the Sabres (4-4-0) moved past the Maple Leafs (3-4-1) and Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers (4-5-0) into third place in the Atlantic Division. After struggling to produce just two goals over a three-game skid at the start, Buffalo has scored 22 over the past five games.
Samuelsson, now with nine goals in 218 career games, also matched a career-best with a plus-4 rating and led the Sabres with four blocked shots.
Ryan McLeod set Samuelsson up for the first goal at 4:38 into the first period, and Thompson fed him in the right circle for a slap shot that rang off the post and in to give the Sabres a 4-2 lead with 6:50 left in the second.
Toronto had outscored Buffalo 20-7 in winning the past five matchups between the clubs.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.