3 Takeaways From the Sabres’ 4-3 Loss to the Canadiens

After a pair of ugly losses at home, the Buffalo Sabres finished their home stand with a convincing Monday matinee win over the Florida Panthers. This is an important week for the Sabres, beginning with a showdown in Montreal with the Canadiens.

It looked like the Sabres were mailing in the first game of this road trip, but they fought back in the third period. In the end, they took a point in the standings they probably didn’t deserve, ultimately falling in the shootout 4-3.

Luukkonen a Difference-Maker

A lot has been said about the goaltending situation. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has had a precarious start so far, though he came in for Colten Ellis against the Panthers and had a strong finish en route to the team’s 5-3 win.

On Tuesday against the Canadiens, Luukkonen was excellent. He stopped 35 of 38 Canadiens shots, including a few highlight reel stops. He is the biggest reason the team was able to hang in and eventually steal a point.

He wasn’t good in the shootout, he got beat on all three shots, but the Sabres wouldn’t have even gotten to that point without him. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a nice little run for Luukkonen as he finds a groove.

The Olen Zellweger Trade Paying Big Dividends

While much of the talk about defensemen for the Sabres centers around Dahlin and Power, we should be talking about Olen Zellweger. The Sabres dealt Anton Wahlberg and a second-round pick to land him, feeling he could be an adequate replacement for the departed Bowen Byram.

He has been an excellent fit for the Sabres and was finally rewarded for his efforts. Zellweger is an excellent skater and that was on full display against the Canadiens. He scored his first two goals as a Sabre while logging nearly 26 minutes of quality hockey.

Zellweger is a dynamic skater and has been active in the Sabres’ transition offense so far. There are some challenges to his defensive game, but he has been far more positive than negative so far, and the Sabres largely control the chances when he’s on the ice.

The Power Play’s Run Has Already Ended

The power play was the talk of the town after the Panthers game, scoring not once but twice in the win. It marked the second consecutive game with a power play goal for the Sabres, making it feel like they may have fixed the struggling unit.

The power play may have been the difference on Tuesday against the Canadiens but not in the right way. The unit went 0-for-5, though losing Rasmus Dahlin against the Panthers doesn’t help. Owen Power is off to a hot start but he isn’t nearly as dynamic as the captain.

You can’t expect them to score every game on the power play, but five opportunities missed made a difference in a game where one more goal likely means a win. There have been some good things of late but it is all moot unless they find some consistency.

Nice to Steal a Point

Not every game is going to be a strong 60-minute effort, and it is nice to turn what should have been a regulation loss into a point in the standings. The Sabres could have easily turned this into two points, and it is clear they are trying to iron out the kinks early on.

With games this week against the Toronto Maple Leafs and again versus Montreal, it could be a great way to establish themselves near the top of the Atlantic Division. Despite being badly outshot (38-17), Sabres fans can feel good about how things turned out.