Buffalo @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 25, 2019 ) Buffalo 3, Toronto 5

The Toronto Maple Leafs' offense stalled last time out after producing 17 goals during the team's three-game home winning streak. Toronto hopes to regain its form when it hosts the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.

The Maple Leafs won the final three contests of their four-game homestand before suffering a 6-1 road loss against the New York Islanders on Thursday that dropped the club three points behind Boston for second place in the Atlantic Division. John Tavares, who spent the first nine seasons of his career with New York, was kept off the scoresheet in his first road game against the Islanders since departing as a free agent in July. Buffalo appeared to be headed to its seventh loss in eight games on Friday, but former Penguin Conor Sheary helped set up defenseman Brandon Montour's tying goal late in the third period before scoring his second of the game at 4:11 of overtime to give the club a 4-3 triumph over Pittsburgh. Jack Eichel tallied in the win to extend his goal-scoring streak to three games and his point run to seven contests for the Sabres, who trail Columbus by seven points for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, MSG (Buffalo), CBC, Sportsnet One (Toronto)

ABOUT THE SABRES (30-26-8): Montour, who was acquired from Anaheim on Sunday, failed to register a point in his team debut on Tuesday but had a strong performance against Pittsburgh. The 24-year-old blue-liner scored a goal and set up another while recording three shots, three hits and two blocked shots in nearly 20 minutes of ice time. Jeff Skinner leads the team with 36 goals, one shy of the career high he set in 2016-17 with Carolina, and needs four assists to reach 200 for his career.

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (39-21-4): Mitch Marner, who leads the team with a career-high 75 points, has recorded six points (one goal, five assists) over his last four contests following a season-high three-game drought. The 21-year-old right wing is one tally shy of eclipsing the career high of 22 he set last season. Auston Matthews was kept off the scoresheet on Thursday, ending a five-game point streak during which he collected three goals and as many assists.

OVERTIME

1. Maple Leafs D Morgan Rielly is one assist away from surpassing the career high of 46 he notched last season.

2. Eichel has collected five goals and four assists during his point streak.

3. Tavares leads Toronto with 36 goals and needs two to match the career high he set in 2014-15 while with the Islanders.

PREDICTION: Maple Leafs 4, Sabres 2