BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - James van Riemsdyk had two goals and an assist to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
Connor Carrick, Tyler Bozak and Patrick Marleau also scored for the Maple Leafs, and Curtis McElhinney stopped 38 shots.
Van Riemsdyk has five goals in two games after scoring a hat trick in Wednesday's 6-5 shootout win over the Dallas Stars.
Sam Reinhart and Jason Pominville scored for Buffalo, and Robin Lehner finished with 33 saves.
Van Riemsdyk opened the scoring from a bad angle 3:39 into the game as he spun at the end line and flung the puck between Lehner's legs, deflected off the goalie's pad into the net.
Van Riemsdyk set a new single-season career-high for goals three minutes later on his 31st. Left all alone in the Sabres' end, he took his time before firing a wrist shot high to the glove side.
Reinhart got the Sabres on the board with a power-play goal with 5:31 remaining in the first. Reinhart has four goals in his past six games and 26 points in his last 26 games.
Carrick made it 3-1 6:22 into the second period on a long shot through traffic from the point.
Bozak made it 4-1 with 5:50 remaining in the second on a terrific pass by van Riemsdyk. Van Riemsdyk spotted Bozak all alone on the opposite side of the crease and spotted him for Bozak's 11th.
Buffalo cut Toronto's lead to 4-2 with its second power-play goal of the game just before the end of the second. Pominville redirected Rasmus Ristolainen's shot from the point with 58.5 seconds left in the period.
Marleau added an empty-netter with 43.6 seconds remaining.
Toronto forward Leo Komarov was was injured midway through the second period and did not return. Komarov collided with teammate William Nylander and was in noticeable pain on the ice before eventually being helped to the locker room.
NOTES: The upper-body injury to Maple Leafs starting goalie Frederik Andersen is not considered serious, Toronto coach Mike Babcock said before the game. Andersen left Toronto's 6-5 victory over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night midway through the second period. Toronto recalled Garret Sparks to serve as its backup against Buffalo. ... RW Kyle Okposo was scratched for Buffalo as he recovers from a concussion. ... Sabres C Jack Eichel skated Thursday morning and is getting closer to returning from an ankle injury. Eichel could return on Saturday against Chicago.
UP NEXT
Maple Leafs: Host Montreal on Saturday night.
Sabres: Host Chicago on Saturday.
