NHL: Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens - Source: Imagn

3 least impressive Buffalo Sabres players from 6-1 loss to Montreal Canadiens feat. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Modified Dec 18, 2024 04:45 GMT

If this isn't rock bottom for the 2024-25 Buffalo Sabres and perhaps in recent franchise memory, then there isn't much further to go.

The Sabres lost for the 11th straight game on Tuesday night, a 6-1 blowout to the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre in Montreal. This comes on the heels of team owner Terry Pegula meeting personally with the players, and yet giving them assurances that he believed in them and that he wouldn't be making any drastic changes to the roster.

It was another abysmal start for Buffalo, as they fell behind by a pair of goals in the opening 20 minutes thanks to Joel Armia and Patrik Laine, who scored the first of what would be three on the night; Armia's goal was just 19 seconds into the game.

Dylan Cozens got one back for Buffalo early in the second period, but it was their lone highlight of the night. Juraj Slafkovsky soon scored to increase the lead to 3-1, followed by a power-play goal from Laine.

Just 65 seconds later, Laine struck again while the Sabres were shorthanded, completing his first hat-trick since being traded to the Canadiens.

Josh Anderson capped off the scoring late in the second period for the Habs, who cruised to a comfortable 6-1 win and improved to 12-16-3, while the Sabres fell to 11-17-4.

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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen did not have a good game for Buffalo, getting victimized for six goals on 21 shots before being replaced by James Reimer. Meanwhile, Sam Montembeault stopped all but one of the 21 shots he faced.

3 least impressive Buffalo Sabres players from 6-1 loss to Montreal Canadiens

#1. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Simply put, it was not a good night for the Sabres as a whole, but they didn't get much help from Luukkonen between the pipes.

He allowed several questionable goals to a Canadiens team that had struggled to produce offense; it was the latest frustrating reality for a Sabres team careening straight off a cliff with their 11th consecutive loss.

Buffalo needed him to be their last line of defense, and like the rest of his teammates, he faltered heavily.

#2. Mattias Samuelsson

The Sabres defenseman was routinely caught out of position and was on the ice for a pair of Habs goals, finishing the night with a -2 rating.

It hasn't been smooth sailing for Samuelsson since signing a seven-year contract with Buffalo in 2022, and Tuesday night was the latest example. After finishing the last two seasons with a positive plus/minus rating, he's on track to finish with a minus rating.

#3. Owen Power

One of Buffalo's better young defensemen, Power's blunder just seconds into the opening period directly led to Joel Armia's goal 19 seconds after the opening faceoff.

It's a play that should have been routine for Owen Power, especially after he was taken with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NHL draft.

The Sabres will look to end their losing streak when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs next at KeyBank Center on Friday.