The Buffalo Sabres were looking to keep their win streak going but unfortunately came to an end on Monday night against the Montreal Canadiens. It was a game that the Sabres were playing behind almost the entire way as Oliver Kapanen scored in the first period.
It wouldn't be until midway through the second that the Sabres responded but Jiri Kulich would tie the game up with Zach Benson on the assist. The game would remain tied going into the third period before Montreal built a two-goal lead after goals by Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson.
The Sabres were able to get it back to a one-goal lead less than a minute later when Tyson Kozak scored off a pass by Jack Quinn. However, it wouldn't get any closer than that and the Sabres leave Montreal with a loss.
These are some of the top takeaways from the game for the Buffalo Sabres.
Another great start for Alex Lyon keeps Buffalo Sabres in the game
This has seemingly been a takeaway from every game the Buffalo Sabres have played this season. The game against the Canadiens once again saw the Sabres come out flat and the opposing team capitalize as Montreal outshot Buffalo 14-6.
The Canadiens did get the lead and open the scoring in that first period when Oliver Kapanen was able to beat Alex Lyon on the backhand. However, the Sabres should feel fortunate that they were only down one going into the second period.
He finished the game with 27 saves on 30 shots and continues to be one of the best players the Buffalo Sabres have on the ice to begin this season.
Jiri Kulich continues his strong play after a slow start to the season
It was a tough start to the season for Jiri Kulich and Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff sent a message last week that it wasn't good enough. He moved Kulich down to the fourth line for a practice before the Senators game and after raising the possibility that he might be a healthy scratch, Kulich would end up playing.
He would score his first goal of the season in that game, although it was an empty-net goal, there was no question he was playing better. That level of play has persisted and showed up against the Canadiens.
Kulich would win a puck battle along the board and get the puck to Zach Benson, who made a nice between the legs back to Kulich. He would control the puck and score a beautiful backhand goal. The Sabres are going to need to continue to get these types of games as long as Kulich is on the top line for Buffalo.
Sabres need Tage Thompson to get the scoring going but is leading in other ways
It has been a quiet start to the season for Sabres' star forward Tage Thompson and if Buffalo hopes to keep winning, they need him to be more productive. He began the season with 17 shots on goal through the first three games of the season and while he only had one goal during that stretch, at least he was shooting.
It has been a different story since as he has had only seven shots on goal in the last three games, including only three against Montreal. Right now, Thompson's shooting percentage on the season is only 4.5% and this is something the coaching staff and player need to make it a point to improve.
While the scoring isn't there quite yet, he certainly deserves some credit for standing up for his teammates. This is the second game in a row that Rasmus Dahlin was taking cheap shots and Thompson was quick to jump in to defend his teammate.