Mike Komisarek's struggles on the blue-line earlier this season led to a minus-9 rating, worst on the Maple Leafs. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Mike Komisarek spent three weeks healing a small quadriceps tear, and hopefully watching teammate Francois Beauchemin.

Like Beauchemin, much was expected of Komisarek after he bolted the Montreal Canadiens and signed a five-year free-agent contract worth $22.5 million US with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

But once the season started, both defencemen struggled mightily and their performance didn't match the hype of their arrival or the money Toronto was paying them. Beauchemin's three-year free-agent deal reportedly is in the $10-million to $11-million range.

However, the former Anaheim Ducks blue-liner simplified his game in the absence of Komisarek, whose minus-9 rating in 16 games with the Leafs is the worst mark on the club.

Komisarek will get a fresh start Monday at 7 p.m. ET when Toronto hosts its Northeast Division rivals, the Buffalo Sabres.

"It was good to take a step back and re-evaluate," Komisarek told reporters on Sunday. "You can't change what has happened. It's a … clean sheet, and forget about what has happened."

Komisarek said he can't point to one aspect of the game for his struggles and talked on Sunday of simplifying his approach and having some fun.

'Be physical'

His teammates have done just that recently, having won three of their past four starts. Head coach Ron Wilson hopes Komisarek returns to the lineup and doesn't think he has to play beyond his capabilities.

"Mike has to move the puck a bit faster than he was before and not get over-amped in some situations," said Wilson of the six-foot-four, 243-pound rearguard. "Be physical, but don't go out of your way looking for it."

As for Beauchemin, he might take the ice at Air Canada Centre on Monday night a little more fired up than usual, and not only because Komisarek is back.

Beauchemin was on the receiving end of a punch from teammate Mikhail Grabovski near the end of Sunday's practice. In February, the East German-born forward scrapped in practice with Jason Blake, who went on to score twice in the game after the fight.

Blake and Grabovski will be linemates Monday, joining left-winger Niklas Hagman, who has scored seven goals in his previous six contests.

Also at Sunday's workout, injured Toronto goalie Vesa Toskala skated for the first time since being place on injured reserve with a groin injury. He will miss his third straight game on Monday.

Monster gets nod

Jonas Gustavsson will make his third straight start, facing a Buffalo outfit that has won six in a row versus the Maple Leafs and 11 of the past 15 meetings (11-4-0).

The Sabres downed Carolina on Saturday for their second consecutive victory following a four-game losing skid.

Buffalo is fifth in the NHL's Eastern Conference with a 14-7-2 record for 30 points, 11 more than No. 14 Toronto (6-11-7).

All-star goaltender Ryan Miller has been the Sabres' most valuable player this season, leading the league in goals-against average (1.93) and save percentage (.933).

But it was some line juggling by head coach Lindy Ruff that help Buffalo turn around its game on the weekend.

In the first period on Saturday, he moved Jochen Hecht to the No. 1 unit alongside Derek Roy and Jason Pominville, with Thomas Vanek joining the third line with Mike Grier and Tim Kennedy.

The moves worked as the Sabres scored five goals in the third period, with Roy, Hecht, Grier, Vanek and Clarke MacArthur finding the net.

Tim Connolly scored twice in the first meeting of the season against the Leafs, a 3-2 win on Oct. 30, with the winning goal coming on a power play.