After a series of dismal seasons of not making the playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs have certainly turned it all around and a solid contender for the playoffs.
This season they tied their franchise record for points with a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
The Leafs now have 103 points.
Auston Matthews and William Nylander scored two goals each and Andreas Johnsson added a single marker in the win.
“The biggest thing is staying healthy and playing good hockey while keeping your good habits and making sure you’re ready to go,” Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner said.
Curtis McElhinney made 32 saves in getting the win as the Leafs improved to 48-25-7.
“Well I’ve obviously enjoyed the winning; that’s always fun,” McElhinney said. “The run support was there again tonight, it makes my job a lot easier. Anytime you get a bit of breathing room, it’s a nice way to play the game.”
Sam Reinhart and Jason Pominville were the Sabres’ goal scorers.
“I thought our first period was actually not bad; I think they’re one of the top teams in the first period,” Pominville said. “We knew they come out hard and I thought we got a great start, but our second wasn’t what it needs to be. We got behind it and then we’re chasing and they’ve got too much talent to chase the game.”
[WATCH:Â All Sabres vs. Maple Leafs highlights]
Chad Johnson made 31 saves in taking the loss.
“You look at their roster, if you turn pucks over and make mistakes, even if it’s three times a game, they could easily have three goals off those. We gave them too many looks coming through the neutral zone with the puck, and they’re going to make you pay,” Reinhart said after the loss.
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