5 Observations: Canucks top Sabres 4-3

Despite jumping out to an early lead the Buffalo Sabres dropped their last game before their eight-day break, falling to the Vancouver Canucks 4-3.

5 Observations from Friday's loss:

They Needed That

With eights day off for the bye week and the all-star break, this loss is going to leave a bad taste in the Sabres’ mouths. Snagging only two points on a three-game road trip isn’t good enough when the other teams the Sabres are chasing are playing solid hockey. With only three wins and five losses in January, the Sabres will need to win both their matchups against the Blue Jackets and the Stars on Jan. 29 and 30 or they’ll finish with a losing record for the second consecutive month.

Too many mistakes

When the Sabres made mistakes on Friday night the Canucks made them pay. Whether it was Lawrence Pilut’s no-look backhand pass to the slot or Marco Scandella’s lack of checking detail in front of Ullmark, the Sabres have to clean things up. At this point in the season with the Sabres on the outside of the playoff picture, they need to be better and limit their mistakes. It feels like every time they made one, the puck winds up in their net.

One streak ends, another continues

If Rasmus Dahlin would’ve tallied a point he would have become the only 18-year-old defenseman to register a point in six consecutive games. His point streak will end after five games [1G, 5A].

Thanks to his goal in the first period, Evan Rodrigues now has goals in three consecutive games.

Power[less] Play

With less than seven minutes remaining in the third period, the Sabres had their second power play chance of the evening. And as has been the case lately, they couldn’t convert. So how bad has the Sabres power play been? In their last 22 attempts, the Sabres have ONE power play goal. Yikes.

Need more from Pilut

I’ve defended Pilut time and time again after his mistakes. Hey, he’s a rookie, those will happen. But his turnover in the second period was possibly his worst mistake yet.

In a tied game with extra open ice because of negating penalties to both teams, Pilut sent a gift to the slot and the Canucks capitalized on a pretty give and go from Bo Horvat to Brock Boesser.