Game 16: What gives

Losing a 7-5 game to a Montréal Canadiens team that was on a six-game skid to end a three-game win streak is as maddening as it is inexcusable.

BUFFALO — After so many years watching and writing about hockey it’s easy to see patterns and other repetitive occurrences. It’s another thing to see things repeat themselves in the span of a couple weeks in the same way.

The Buffalo Sabres dropped a glorious mess of a game to the Montréal Canadiens at home 7-5. It was a game that saw all four goaltenders dressed for action take part in it and one where the lead changed repeatedly with goals scored in rapid succession all throughout it.

It was the kind of game that would give any coach agita. But in the Sabres’ case, it was another game that featured them playing an opponent that was down in a bad way while they were riding the high of a winning streak. It was the kind of game where the team that’s trending up is supposed to keep the one that’s reeling and fighting to figure things out down.

But for the second time in less than two weeks, the Sabres let a team take advantage to right their own ship and bring skepticism back into their orbit. Worse yet, it was a game in which leading scorer Tage Thompson and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left in the second period with lower-body injuries.

“We got humbled today,” Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said. “I think we were very excited about our previous games, and I don’t know. But we know if you’re not showing up 100 percent, it’s hard to win in this league. So, we’re going to work hard moving forward.”

More from a wild and frustrating Buffalo loss ahead.