John Tavares scored twice as part of a second-period outburst and added an empty netter for his 14th career hat trick as the Toronto Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 deficit to pick up a 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.

In a solid comeback, the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Buffalo Sabres 5–3. How did John Tavares have a key role in his team's win?

The Toronto Maple Leafs and John Tavares are exploring a unique contract structure involving deferred payments. This approach could help the team manage its salary cap while ensuring Tavares is fairly compensated.

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TORONTO – The Buffalo Sabres continue their three-game road trip when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday. It will be the first of three meetings this season between the Sabres and their cross-border rivals, the next of which will be played Thursday in Buffalo.

The Buffalo Sabres suffered a deflating 5-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday (Dec. 15). After having a 3-1 lead in the second period, the Sabres allowed four unanswered goals and extended their brutal losing streak to 10 games.

John Tavares scored twice as part of a second-period outburst and added an empty netter for his 14th career hat trick as the Toronto Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 deficit to pick up a 5-3 victory over Buffalo on Sunday that heaped more misery on the hapless Sabres.