Joe Yerdon – NHL.com Correspondent
BUFFALO — Cal O’Reilly and Johan Larsson each scored twice for the Buffalo Sabres in a 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at First Niagara Center on Thursday.
O’Reilly gave the Sabres a 2-0 lead with a power-play goal with 18.1 seconds left in the first period. With Maple Leafs defenseman Frank Corrado in the penalty box for interference, O’Reilly received a pass from Jack Eichel in the slot and took a shot that beat Maple Leafs goalie Garret Sparks over his right shoulder.
Ryan O’Reilly had the secondary assist; it was the first time two brothers combined on a Sabres goal.
Cal O’Reilly’s second goal made it 3-0 at 3:41 of the second period. He shot from the left faceoff circle after a long dump pass from David Legwand.
Larsson’s second goal, and ninth of the season, came with an empty net with :03 left.
The Sabres (32-35-11) had lost two in a row and won their third straight game at home. The Maple Leafs (28-39-11) have lost three of the past four.
Toronto forward Brooks Laich made it 3-1 at 13:32 of the second period. Laich received a pass from behind the net by rookie forward Tobias Lindberg and shot the puck past Sabres goalie Chad Johnson on his blocker side.
Lindberg was making his NHL debut after being recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League on Thursday.
Johnson made 25 saves in his seventh consecutive start; Sparks made 33.
Larsson gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead 7:09 into the first period. He received a pass from Brian Gionta and skated up the right wing, where he took a shot from the faceoff circle that beat Sparks up high.
Mark Pysyk nearly made it 4-1 with 2:43 left in the second period, but the goal was waived off because of incidental contact made with the goaltender by Sabres forward Hudson Fasching. Sabres coach Dan Bylsma challenged the call on the ice, but it was upheld following review.
