Leafs Look For Success In Buffalo

GAME: Toronto Maple Leafs (4-2-2-1) at Buffalo Sabres (5-5-0-0).

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without one of their leading goal scorers when they visit the Buffalo Sabres at the HSBC Arena.

Nik Antropov, tied with Joe Nieuwendyk with a team-high three goals, separated his shoulder in the team's 3-2 overtime home loss to Atlanta on Monday. The 23-year-old left wing isn't sure how it happened, but claimed it was on a hit from behind. He will be sidelined indefinitely.

Though the Maple Leafs earned a point Monday, they were dejected after blowing a 2-0 lead. Toronto had won its previous three games.

Tom Fitzgerald had his best game of the season with a goal and an assist but all he could talk about was "two points out the door."

Nieuwendyk added an assist, extending his point streak to five games.

"There's no excuses," Fitzgerald said. "That's a game we just threw away.

"But we want to be a positive group in here. We want to be able to look back and not say that's a game that hurt us but a game that helped us down the road."

The Sabres also had their three-game win streak snapped, losing 3-1 at home to Minnesota on Tuesday.

Dmitri Kalinin scored for Buffalo, but Chris Drury's seven-game point streak came to an end.

Buffalo was playing its first game at home following a 4-2-0 road trip.

"I don't really like excuses," Drury said. "I don't care where we were or how long (the trip) was, we should have been better prepared. We are professionals, we have to be ready."