Sabres stun listless Maple Leafs to snap 6-game skid

Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist as the Buffalo Sabres stunned the uninspired Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 on Wednesday night to snap a six-game losing streak.

Jacob Bryson, Victor Olofsson, Tage Thompson and Kyle Okposo also scored for Buffalo (17-30-8), which got 29 saves from Craig Anderson. Dylan Cozens added two assists.

Rasmus Sandin replied for Toronto (35-15-4). Petr Mrazek stopped 26 shots.

The Leafs, who had won three straight, played in front of 17,122 fans — the first home date with the potential for full capacity since Dec. 11 after provincial COVID-19 capacity restrictions were eased Tuesday.

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The vast majority went home unhappy with frowns under their masks on a night where the home side was second-best against a team that had surrendered 28 goals during its ugly slide.

Toronto, which hosted Buffalo for the first time since December 2019, will get another crack at the Sabres when the teams play outdoors March 13 at Hamilton's Tim Hortons Field in the Heritage Classic.

Olofsson snapped a 1-1 tie at 12:19 of the second period when Rasmus Asplund's shot hit Sandin in front and fell kindly for the Buffalo winger to fire home his eighth goal of the season.

Anderson, a 40-year-old in his 19th NHL season, didn't have a lot to do up until that point, but stopped Pierre Engvall's breakaway and rebound effort moments later to keep the visitors in front.

Olofsson then fired a shot off Mrazek's post that stayed out, but the Toronto goaltender was beaten by Thompson's quick strike from the slot with 1:29 left in the period after Sandin got stripped by Skinner.

The goal was Thompson's 23rd of the campaign, and ninth in nine games.

The Sabres put any thought of a Toronto