3 Takeaways From Buffalo Sabres' 7-5 Loss to Montreal Canadiens – Hockey Writers – Buffalo Sabers

The Buffalo Sabers enter their afternoon tilt with the Montreal Canadiens riding high. On Thursday, they crushed the New York Rangers who were fighting for the Stanley Cup, followed by a hard-fought victory over the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Saturday. Extending the streak over the lowly Canadiens felt educated.

Yet here we sit, with the Sabers losing 7-5. Everything that could have gone wrong did, and even a few smart comebacks weren't enough to wait. There are more than a few things you can take away from this loss.

The Sabers Defense and Goaltending Was Nonexistent

This wouldn't be the worst game for the Sabers. The Canadiens were able to shoot 23 but scored six goals. The seventh was an empty netter where Dylan Cozens made a shot to stop it, only to have his efforts wasted when there were other untouched Canadians to clean up the game.

The scoring wasn't great – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was pulled late in the second half – but it's hard to fault the scorers when Cole Caufield was left open for Montreal's fifth goal. An absolute disappointment in terms of the team's defense after a tough stretch.

These games happen from time to time, but they are hard to swallow. The team is used to playing in their own competition, and they can't afford it if they want to get to the finals.

Thompson Left in the Morning

Tage Thompson scored 11^th Goal of the season on a good move into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1. Unfortunately, that's all we saw of him. He left the game early apparently because he had a lower back injury, and did not return to the game.

It goes without saying, but this is Defcon 1 for the Sabers. Losing Thompson for an extended period of time would be detrimental to the team's dream and morale. We're far enough into the season that there's no room to cool down, and it feels like Thompson's absence could be an excuse to sleep in the middle of the show.

Either way, I hope it's a minor injury. He struggled with injuries last season, and struggled to catch on when he returned. The Sabers can't afford to lose key pieces, and none is more important right now than, arguably, Thompson.

The Sabers Take Too Many Penalties

The Sabers took six penalties on the day, including one on a failed challenge. That's a lot for any game, let alone one where the goalkeeper can't stop a beach ball.

Rob Ray revealed during the broadcast that the Sabers are leaving as their sentence expires. If they are sharp, as they have been in many previous games, they win. When they made a mistake – and they gave up two power play goals today – they lost. If they're going to be a big team, that's not going to happen.

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The Sabers are playing with a level of chippiness they've never played before. It's good to see players like Peyton Krebs and Zach Benson not willing to take over from anyone. But sometimes, it can be sloppy, and they are expensive. The Sabers have to clean up their game – they are ranked fifth in penalties per game so far.

Not the End of the World, But It Needs Repetition

Losing a game like this to one of the worst teams in the league could send their fans into a panic. After all, the last time the Sabers won three in a row, they followed it up with three consecutive losses. Although the reaction of doom and gloom is unnecessary, the Sabers be to go back by defeating St. Louis Blues Thursday night.

Losing that game will undoubtedly make everyone feel like they're coming to their tails. Momentum is a precious commodity, and the Sabers cannot squander it. A loss would occur in an 82-game season. Good teams respond with a better effort next time.