Buffalo had built its lead on the strength of defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, who finished plus-four with his first-career two-goal game. He twice got lost in coverage, stepped up in the offensive zone and beat Stolarz with perfectly placed shots. The first one opened the scoring 4:38 into the game; the second extended Buffalo’s advantage to 4-2.

Samuelsson scored twice in the Sabres' 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs, giving the team four victories in its last five games.

Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson delivered a message to his team and fanbase as they work through an early resurgence.