Buffalo builds early lead, gains on Toronto in Atlantic Division
By Dave McCarthy / NHL.com Correspondent
TORONTO — Evander Kane scored twice for the Buffalo Sabres in a 3-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre on Saturday.
Robin Lehner made 43 saves for the Sabres (23-22-10), who are 3-1-2 in their past six games and five points behind the Maple Leafs (25-18-11) for fourth place in the Atlantic Division.
The Sabres had a 2-0 lead and outshot the Maple Leafs 6-0 before Morgan Rielly got Toronto’s first shot at 9:06.
Kane scored 4:13 into the first period to make it 1-0, and Sam Reinhart scored a power-play goal 55 seconds later after taking a pass from forward Kyle Okposo on a 2-on-1.
Kane scored his second at 18:02 when he one-timed a shot past Frederik Andersen’s glove to put Buffalo up 3-0.
Mitchell Marner scored a power-play goal at 15:57 of the second period to make it 3-1.
Lehner was tested in the third period and made two crucial saves: on Rielly at 2:22, and on a point-blank shot from Tyler Bozak at 6:00.
Andersen allowed three goals on 23 shots.
Buffalo returns to the KeyBank Center on Sunday at 7:30 pm to take on the Vancouver Canucks.
The Sabres on Saturday announced that the team recalled forward Evan Rodrigues from the Rochester Americans.
This is the third recall of the season for Rodrigues (23, 5-foot-10, 183 lbs.), who currently ranks third on the Amerks with 18 assists and fifth with 27 points. In four career NHL games for the Sabres during the last two seasons, the Toronto, Ontario native has recorded two points (1+1) and a plus-1 rating.