Morgan Rielly battles for the puck against Evander Kane during the first period on Tuesday.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
The Toronto Maple Leafs earned their third consecutive NHL win, a 4-3 decision, by protecting a third-period lead over the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday. But that was overshadowed by concern for Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly.
Rielly injured his right leg in the first period when Sabres forward William Carrier fell on it. Rielly then tumbled into the boards, hitting the same leg. He hobbled to the dressing room, returned to the bench briefly and then left again. The team announced during the second intermission that he would not return to the game.
The big concern for Rielly and the Leafs is whether or not the injury is to his right knee. He missed most of the 2011-12 junior hockey season when he tore the ACL anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and required surgery.
"I don't know if he's out a week, 10 days or a month. I have no clue," Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said of Rielly. He said more will be known Wednesday after Rielly is examined by the team doctors.
The Sabres took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Kyle Okposo and Evander Kane, as both Jack Eichel of the Sabres and Auston Matthews of the Leafs, the young stars who faced each other for the first time in the NHL, were rather quiet.
But Matthews and the Leafs took charge in the second period, chasing goaltender Robin Lehner with three goals. Leo Komarov and Matt Martin scored first, then Matthews fired the go-ahead goal from the slot at 9:45. That earned Lehner the hook, and he was not happy, spiking his helmet at the bench and yelling at head coach Dan Bylsma.James van Riemsdyk scored the Leafs' fourth goal on a third-period power play. Carrier scored for the Sabres at 17:37 of the third.