For a few years, their division has been the ‘Battle’ of the Atlantic in name only.

But the Maple Leafs realize the neighbourhood turf is now a lot tougher. The Detroit Red Wings had swept them in a home-and-home series for the first time in many years and Toronto barely avoided a similar fate Saturday versus the Buffalo Sabres with an overtime win. There were 45 combined hits Saturday after the Leafs unleashed 30 themselves in Buffalo, having obviously wearied of hearing about their soft play.

Between the Wings and Sabres, through which Toronto built an NHL high nine-year playoff qualification run, is almost a quarter century of missing the dance. Yet the two remain ahead of the Leafs as of the weekend, with the Montreal Canadiens leading the Atlantic.

“This is a hard division,” Toront

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