Nevertheless, Claude Julien's troops were better defensively than in their previous few games.
After a tough opening frame, the Canadiens showed character during the ensuing two periods to take the lead at one point in time.
But, it wasn't enough to emerge victorious against the Sabres, as Phil Housley's squad won 3-2 in overtime at the KeyBank Center to stretch their win streak to eight straight games.
"We were a lot better defensively. We minimized the scoring chances against a hot team right now and we were in good position until the end of the game. But, when you give the other team a power play in overtime, that's what happens. We lost a big point tonight," said Julien. "I think we played a good game overall. We were in control of the game at the end, but we let them back into it. You can't be satisfied with picking up just one point against a team in our division."
Julien's players were disappointed with the outcome as well, but they took away some positives from the encounter.
"We started poorly, but we played well defensively in the second and the third. That's the positive. They had good rebounds and they play well as a team. It was an intense game and a defensive one, too," explained Phillip Danault, who picked up two assists against the Sabres. "It just didn't end well."
Jordie Benn shared similar thoughts following the defeat.
"There's room for improvement, but we played against a team that's on fire," mentioned Benn. "We practically stopped them all game long. There were some bad bounces that worked out favorably for them."
Andrew Shaw, who scored his seventh goal of the season in the loss, met the media as well.
"I think we worked hard," said Shaw. "We're going to play well defensively again [against the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at the Bell Centre], and we're going to go after the two points."
Kulak enjoys a solid debut
Defenseman Brett Kulak logged 19 minutes of ice time in his Habs debut on Friday after being recalled from the AHL's Laval Rocket.
"It was good. It was my first NHL game in a while. The speed was different and the game was, too. We play practically the same way in Laval, so the transition was easy," said Kulak. "My legs were a little heavy at the start, but I felt better and better as the game went on."
For his part, Julien was pleased with Kulak's effort. "He played tight, and he was on his toes all game long," praised Julien. "He wasn't scared to make contact, so I liked his game tonight."
