Jack Eichel gets 2 goals for Buffalo, which has lost 5 of 6 games.
By Dave McCarthy / NHL.com Correspondent
TORONTO — Frederik Gauthier had a goal and an assist for his first multipoint game in the NHL, and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 5-3, at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.
Kasperi Kapanen had a goal and an assist, John Tavares, Auston Matthews, and Tyler Ennis scored, and Frederik Andersen made 31 saves for the Maple Leafs (38-20-4), who have won two in a row following a three-game losing streak and trail the Boston Bruins by 1 point for second place in the Atlantic Division.
Jack Eichel scored twice, Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist, and Rasmus Dahlin had 2 assists for the Sabres (29-25-8), who are 1-4-1 in their past 6 games and trail the Carolina Hurricanes by 6 points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
Carter Hutton allowed 3 goals on 12 shots before being pulled in the second period. He was replaced by Linus Ullmark, who made 19 saves.
Eichel gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 19:07 of the first period when he took a pass from Reinhart in the high slot and scored blocker side on the power play.
Tavares tied it 1-1 at 3:48 of the second period on a redirection of Jake Muzzin’s point shot at the top of the crease.
Matthews gave Toronto a 2-1 lead at 5:24. He tried to center the puck from behind the net but it hit Sabres forward Evan Rodrigues’ skate and he got to the loose puck and scored from below the right circle.
Gauthier scored 28 seconds to make it 3-1 on a backhand in the slot.
Ennis extended the lead to 4-1 at 13:02, taking a stretch pass from Gauthier and scoring on a breakaway.
Reinhart cut it to 4-2 at 17:25 on a 5-on-3 power play, and Eichel scored nine seconds into the third period to make it 4-3.
Kapanen scored a shorthanded goal with 2:18 remaining to put the Maple Leafs ahead 5-3.
*NOTES — Kyle Okposo returned to the lineup for the Sabres against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. The 30-year old forward missed the past 4 games after sustaining a concussion Feb. 15 during a fight in a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers…The Sabres continue their road trip Tuesday night in Philadelphia against the Flyers.