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Matt Martin might have been the only member of the Maple Leafs who was not eagerly anticipating the four-day break between games this week.

The rugged winger played admirably in his return to the lineup against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, getting nine minutes 50 seconds of ice time in his first action since Jan. 22.

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“For the guys who have been playing all this time, it’s a lot of help,” Martin said of the break. “For me, I could probably keep playing. That would probably help me. But a little rest will go a long way (for the team as a whole).

“The playoffs are just around the corner, and we need to go into the playoffs playing the right way and be re-energized.”

After watching the previous 18 games as a healthy scratch, Martin was effective on a line with centreTomas Plekanec and Leo Komarov, setting up the latter for a goal in the second period.

Whether Martin accomplished enough in the mind of coach Mike Babcock to keep a spot in the lineup when the Leafs play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night remains to be seen.