Mattias Samuelsson scored twice for the first time in his career, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night at KeyBank Center.
The win marked Buffalo’s fourth straight at home, all against Atlantic Division rivals, and brought the team back to .500 at 4-4-0, moving them into third place in the division standings.
Samuelsson opened the scoring just 4:38 into the game and later added the eventual game-winner midway through the second period to give Buffalo a 4-2 lead. The defenseman was a force on both ends, recording five shots, four blocks, and logging a team-high 23:26 of ice time. He anchored a key penalty kill late in regulation that helped preserve the win.
Goaltender Alex Lyon turned aside 29 shots, including a highlight-reel pad save on Matias Macelli during that penalty kill. Seconds later, Alex Tuch converted the stop into a shorthanded goal, giving the Sabres valuable breathing room.
Tage Thompson and Jiri Kulich each contributed a goal and an assist as Buffalo’s offense continued to find balance across the lineup.
Forward Tyson Kozak exited after just three shifts with a lower-body injury and will miss Saturday’s rematch in Toronto, head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed postgame.
The Sabres and Maple Leafs meet again Saturday at Scotiabank Arena, with puck drop scheduled for 5 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].