Maple Leafs look to extend win streak in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Toronto Maple Leafs aren't taking any chances when it comes to their postseason hopes.

With points at a premium in the race for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, the Maple Leafs -- currently third in the Atlantic Division -- are on a roll. Toronto has won three games in a row and seven of its last nine games in an effort to hold onto their current position.

Toronto (35-23-15) will look to extend its winning streak to four games when they travel over the border to take on the Buffalo Sabres at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

With 85 points, the Maple Leafs are three points ahead of the Boston Bruins and four points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the third spot in the Atlantic heading into Saturday's game.

"We just want to get in. I don't care when we peak or any of that stuff, I just want to get in the (playoffs) to give ourselves a chance," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said, according to the team's website. "We're playing better right now and finding a way to win games. Last year, I didn't look at the standings one time and now I look at it every single day, so obviously there must be a reason I'm looking at them."

Several players have stepped up in recent weeks for the Maple Leafs. Youngster Williams Nylander picked up his 21st goal of the season in Thursday's 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils, and he has at least one point in each of the past 10 games. The 20-year-old has 56 points on the season so far. Mitchell Marner picked up his 40th assist of the season in the victory, tying a 73-year-old team record in the process. And rookie Auston Matthews leads the team with 60 points (33 goals, 27 assists).

"I think we're just playing the way we want to," Marner said, according to the team's website. "At the start of the year, we were playing the way we wanted to, but just at the end of games we stopped doing what we wanted to, and I think that's what's changed about this team. We're the same team for the full 60 minutes and that's what makes us dangerous."

The Sabres (30-32-12), meanwhile, are out of playoff contention and will be without one of their best players against the Maple Leafs. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was recently given a three-game suspension for his hit to the head on Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel in the first period of Tuesday's loss to the Penguins. Guentzel suffered a concussion as a result of the hit.

"You're missing a 27-minute a night guy who's in every situation for you," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said, according to the team's website. "That's one you can't replace. So that's what we're going to have to deal with in the next three games and our guys will go forward doing that."

The Sabres are hoping to get some bodies back from the injured list. Kyle Okposo, William Carrier and Dmitry Kulikov all returned to practice on Thursday.