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The Toronto Maple Leafs watched three of the teams they have been jostling with for the eighth and final playoff spot in the National Hockey League's Eastern Conference score come-from-behind victories on Thursday.

But the no-lead-is-safe lesson obviously did not register with the Leafs as they allowed a three-goal, third-period lead to disintegrate in a devastating 5-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres Friday night.

Down 4-1, the high-flying Sabres scored four goals in 8 minutes 45 seconds to snatch a victory away from the Leafs.

Buffalo rookie Drew Stafford finished off Toronto with the game-winning goal with 5:48 remaining in the third period.

The Leafs turned the puck over in the neutral zone allowing a 3-on-2 rush that Stafford capped off with his 12th goal of the season.

"Wow, what do you say?" said Leafs captain Mats Sundin, who whiffed on a chance to the side of the Buffalo net in the dying seconds. "There is not much to say.

"That was a heartbreaking game. At the same time, we're still in position to make the playoffs. We have to bounce back [Saturday]," when the Leafs conclude the home-and-home series against the Sabres at Air Canada Centre.

It's a must-win game for Toronto with the clock ticking on their playoff hopes.

"Of course, it's ticking," Sundin snapped. "We don't have time to worry about that."

With eight games remaining, the Leafs are stuck in 11th spot in the East. The New York Islanders occupy eighth place, three points up on Toronto, after their 4-3 win over the Flyers Saturday.

Friday night's game, played before a capacity crowd of 18,690 at HSBC Arena, also marked the return of Toronto defenceman Tomas Kaberle.

Kaberle missed eight games because of a concussion he suffered after a late hit from New Jersey Devils enforcer Cam Janssen on March 2.

He got off to a rough start in his first game in three weeks, almost losing his balance carrying the puck out of his own end during Toronto's first power play and, as a result, committing a careless giveaway.

But the veteran blueliner was much better during a power-play opportunity later in the period — a 5-on-3 situation during which Kaberle slid a pass to Bryan McCabe that was whizzed home to tie the game at 1-1. McCabe had failed to score a goal in the games Kaberle missed while recovering from his head injury.

"I felt okay, but not perfect," Kaberle said.

The loss spoiled a wonderful performance from the Leafs' line of Matt Stajan, Alexander Steen and Boyd Devereaux.

Steen set up Stajan for the go-ahead goal in the second period (making the score 2-1), and Devereaux scored twice early in the third to put the Leafs up 4-1. His second goal was fluky because a Sabres' clearing pass bounded off a referee behind the net and deflected out to Devereaux in front.

"The only points that matter now are points in the standings," said Stajan, who picked off a Brian Campbell pass to set up Devereaux's first goal.

Down 4-1, Thomas Vanek scored his second power-play goal of the night for Buffalo. Then, Daniel Brière got on the scoresheet a couple of seconds after Toronto defenceman Ian White emerged from the penalty box.

Another Toronto turnover caught White and fellow blueliner Hal Gill up ice when Sabres forward Jason Pominville scored the tying goal, 20 seconds before Stafford performed his heroics for the hometown crowd.

"We dominated the game for 45 minutes and then got into penalty trouble," McCabe said. "We put ourselves in a tough spot."

The Leafs outshot Buffalo 44-34, including a 21-9 advantage in the first period, but with the loss their record dropped to a dismal 6-18-3 at HSBC Arena.