The Buffalo Sabres were back home on Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets and trying to extend a home win streak that stands at four games. However, for the second game in a row the Sabres would end up going to overtime after their 4-3 loss on Saturday to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Similar to Saturday, the Sabres would end up being on the losing end when Miles Wood, who had the tying goal in the third period, was able to beat Alex Lyon about halfway through the overtime period.
These are some of the takeaways from the game on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Buffalo Sabres have to break this bad first period habit
Once again, the Buffalo Sabres came out flat in the first period, and it is a trend that they have to break. It hasn't been as much of an issue as of late, and they were able to play better in the second and third period, but it is something that they can't do if they want to consistently win games.
The Sabres didn't have a shot on goal until late in the first period, and at one point, the Blue Jackets had a shots-on-goal advantage of over 10. They also were able to convert one of those shots into a goal when Yegor Chinakhov was able to control a loose puck deep in Buffalo's zone and beat Alex Lyon.
Entering this game, the Sabres were out-shot 96-78 in the first period this season, and when opponents score first, the Sabres are 1-4. They did get at least one point, but if they want to be considered a playoff team, they need to break this habit.
When Ryan McLeod wins faceoffs, good things happen
Entering this game, Ryan McLeod was one of the players I mentioned to watch, and specifically his struggles in the faceoff circle. On the season, he was below 40% but in this game, he was better at around 50%.
In the second period, it is a great example of what happens when the Sabres are able to win faceoffs and get control of the puck, especially in the offensive zone. McLeod was able to win the faceoff, and the puck eventually worked back to him after Bo Byram and Alex Tuch made passes for him to score and give Buffalo a 2-1 lead.
Josh Dunne does the dirty work to get his first career goal
Dunne was playing in his 20th career NHL game, and sixth with the Buffalo Sabres, on Tuesday night against the Blue Jackets. However, he had yet to have a point in a game up to this point, but that all changed in the third period.
The goal was pretty symbolic to the game that Dunne plays in that it wasn't necessarily pretty but it got the job done. That is what Josh Dunne has been able to do for this team on the fourth line, as he is a gritty player who can grind the opposing team down.
He likely will be heading back to Rochester in the coming weeks when players like Jordan Greenway and Tyson Kozak are able to return. However, it probably won't be the last time Dunne is on the ice for the Buffalo Sabres this season.
Blown third period leads cost the Buffalo Sabres two points
Over the past two games, the Buffalo Sabres have had leads in the third period, and in both instances, they have not only lost the lead but lost the game in overtime. While it is good to at least get one point, it feels like these are missed opportunities with the Sabres having the lead in the third period.
The silver lining in this overtime game is that the Sabres had their chances and looked much better than they did against the Maple Leafs. There were a few instances where they had good scoring opportunities, like a breakaway attempt by Jiri Kulich, but he wasn't able to get the puck past Jet Greaves.
This is certainly something that Lindy Ruff will need to address, both the third period performance as well as not being able to finish in overtime, to ensure this doesn't become a bigger issue over the course of the season.