For the second game in a row, the Buffalo Sabres were on the board first. Unfortunately, the New York Islanders battled back, eventually taking the lead early in the third period.
Buffalo managed to pull even in the middle of the period, but Jean-Gabriel Pageau found a way for the Islanders to take, yet, another two points from the Sabres with a late power play goal.
Let's take a look at three observations from Monday night's game:
1.) First goal an important boost for the Sabres
The Sabres struggled to figure out the Islanders at even strength in their previous two matchups at KeyBank Center. Buffalo fixed that narrative late in the first period on Monday with a goal from forward Curtis Lazar.
Lazar was able to get his stick on a shot from the point by defensman Henri Jokiharju. Forward Casey Mittelstadt had tracked the puck behind the net to the corner before finding Jokiharju at the point to rip a shot.
2.) Reinhart is on fire
Sabres forward Sam Reinhart is having a nice season for Buffalo, and now he's celebrating a nice string of games, scoring three goals in his last two games and four points in his last three.
Reinhart scored a ridiculous goal in the third period, contributing on the power play for the second game in a row.
Defensman Rasmus Dahlin found forward Victor Olofsson in his usual spot at the right circle. His shot on Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlomov popped straight up in to the air, and nobody was able to find the puck, except for Reinhart. He waited for the puck to drop just below the crossbar before taking a whack at it out of the air and connecting.
3.) Sabres lose their fire in the third period
Buffalo came out and had a strong opening period, outshooting the Islanders 12-3. After the first period, the Sabres couldn't generate the same amount of pressure they did to open the game.
They allowed New York back into the game with a goal from Islanders captain Anders Lee. Lee was, somehow, alone in front with no less than three Sabres watching him deke past Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark. Curtis Lazar and Brandon Davidson were gliding close to the play.
The Sabres allowed the Islanders to get ahead in the third period, with Matt Martin throwing, what looked like, a Hail Mary shot at the net that found its way past Ullmark.
Buffalo was able to battle back on the power play later in the period, but New York answered right back with 4:52 to go in the third period. Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom took a one-timed shot from Nick Leddy that got through to the net. The ensuing rebound ended up on the stick of Pageau, who one-timed a backhand past Ullmark for the winning goal.
----------
While the effort against the Islanders on Monday night was better than the couple of performances from last week, it still wasn't enough. Now, the Sabres must travel back to New Jersey to play the Devils at the Prudential Center on Tuesday.
Puck drop in Newark will take place at 7 p.m. EST with Schopp and the Bulldog bringing you the Paul WIlliam Beltz Pregame show starting at 6 p.m. EST. on WGR Sports Radio 550.
Buffalo strikes first again, but the Islanders get a late power play goal to down the Sabres