TORONTO -- The Buffalo Sabres started fast and tried to keep it going when they took the early lead against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, learning a lesson from the past.

They kept pushing to score again and emerged from the first period with a 3-0 lead, with Evander Kane notching two goals and Jack Eichel picking up three assists.

It turned out to be all they needed as they went on to defeat the Maple Leafs 3-1.

"We had a two-goal lead last time in this building," Kane said. "When we were up 3-0, we were talking about let's get the fourth, let's get the fifth. Let's really take it to them because there's no rule for scoring too many goals in this league.

"We gave up the power-play goal (in the second period), but we stuck with it and didn't make that big mistake."

Kane was referring to the Sabres' 4-3 loss on Jan. 17 at the Air Canada Centre.

Sam Reinhart added a goal and an assist for Buffalo, which moved to within five points of third-place Toronto in the Atlantic Division. Mitch Marner scored for the Maple Leafs, who have lost two in a row.

Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner made 43 saves in helping to hold off the Maple Leafs, who applied some pressure in the second and third periods and came close a few times.

"It wasn't a ton of big saves, huge saves, that (Lehner) had to make," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. "There was a lot of traffic in tight, there were a lot of pucks in the blue paint. Flurries, tight plays back in the net that he had to be strong on and he was."

It was the first win for the Sabres (23-22-10) over the Maple Leafs (25-18-11) in three meetings this season. They play twice more.

"Disappointed is what you should be because we had the opportunity to get prepared and be prepared. We knew it was an important game and we weren't ready to play any way you look at it," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said.

"That's on me, that's on the players. I thought we gifted them goals. Poor job on the penalty kill where guys are behind us for no reason, just on a short neutral zone forecheck. A faceoff play, they shot it in the net, we're not ready to jump on the guy."

Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen made 20 saves and was removed for an extra attacker with a little over 3:30 remaining.

"One of our better starts," Bylsma said. "We kept it going. It was our plan to come and put on a lot of pressure and establish the forecheck."

The Sabres took a 1-0 lead at 4:13 of the first period on the first goal of the game by Kane, a shot from the right circle after a faceoff.

Reinhart scored his 12th goal of the season at 5:08 of the first period on a power play and Buffalo led 2-0. Toronto defenseman Jake Gardiner was serving a hooking penalty.

Kane scored his second goal of the game and 18th of the season at 18:02 of the first period. Eichel earned his third assist of the game. The Sabres led 3-0 after the first period despite being outshot 13-10.

"I just think we've got to come out ready to play our systems and make sure we don't fall into other teams' game plan," Marner said. "We're a team that when we're getting on the cycle we know we're dangerous all the time. I think that's what we've got to stick to."

The Maple Leafs scored on a power play at 15:57 of the second period on a wraparound effort by Marner, his 15th goal of the season. Buffalo defenseman Josh Jorges was off for tripping.

He banked it in off Lehner. It was not intentional.

"No, I kind of saw (Nazem Kadri) coming down and was trying to get it to him," Marner said. "I got a lucky bounce and good things happened."

"We kept things simple and kept on the attack," Reinhart said. "I think we got away from it there, but I like the way we weathered, but I still think we can get better at taking the game to them a little bit more. They're fast team with a lot of skill."

NOTES: Buffalo D Cody Franson (foot), a former Maple Leafs player, will be out 2-3 weeks after he was injured while stopping a shot in the loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. D Taylor Fedun moved into Franson's spot in the lineup. ... Sabres C Zemgus Girgensons (middle body) missed his second straight game and is expected to miss at least one more. ... The Sabres recalled LW Evan Rodrigues from Rochester of the AHL. He played two games with Buffalo earlier this season. ... Toronto RW Nikita Soshnikov (upper body injury) missed his second straight game. ... The Maple Leafs complete a four-game homestand on Tuesday against the New York Islanders. ... The Sabres are home Sunday to the Vancouver Canucks.