The Buffalo Sabres typically like their chances when Rasmus Dahlin has the puck on his stick in overtime.

That’s where they found themselves in Boston on Thursday night. After falling behind 2-0 and again 3-1 despite heavily outshooting the Bruins, the Sabres needed a spirited third-period comeback to get the game to overtime. Dahlin, who already had a goal and an assist in the game, rushed the puck through the neutral zone and through two Bruins defenders. But he was one against three in the offensive zone when he lost an edge trying to buy more time with the puck.

The Bruins then got a rush chance the other way. Tage Thompson jumped toward the puck carrier and got way out of position, leading to a two-on-one. Marat Khusnutdinov beat Alex Lyon short side to hand the Sabres a 4-3 overtime loss.

This was Buffalo’s third straight overtime loss. The first two involved them blowing third-period leads to end up in overtime. This one involved an impressive and well-earned comeback. But the overtime miscues have now cost the Sabres points in three straight games. Against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jack Quinn passed up a shot and Owen Power mishandled a puck to cough up a prime chance. Against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jiri Kulich couldn’t convert on a breakaway and then Kulich and Power lost coverage in the defensive zone.

On Thursday, it was Dahlin and Thompson letting a chance go the other way. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Dahlin should have just circled out of the zone and reset the play. Dahlin owned it after the game, too.

MARAT WITH SOME MAGIC 🪄 pic.twitter.com/YE9oltSdrl

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 31, 2025

Dahlin had moments in this game where he looked like his old self. That hasn’t been the case too often early in the season. Ruff pointed out over the weekend that everything Dahlin dealt with over the summer has likely contributed to his less-than-perfect start to the season. While vacationing in France with his fiancee, Carolina Matovac, she went into heart failure. She needed life-saving CPR and eventually a heart transplant. She’s on the road to recovery but still back in Sweden while Dahlin is in Buffalo. It’s more than understandable that Dahlin wouldn’t quite be himself yet.

But before overtime, this game was one of Dahlin’s best of the season. For starters, he got his first goal of the season on a blast of a one-timer from the point on the power play. He then set up the game-tying goal in the third period with a slick give-and-go play with Tuch. The Sabres outchanced the Bruins 13-6 with Dahlin on the ice.

The costly mistakes stand out and have been piling up. He’s minus-eight in 11 games. But he also has nine points and is logging his usual massive workload. The Sabres hope he’ll turn a corner soon, and the signs are there that it could be coming.

In the meantime, the Sabres are staying competitive in an already-crowded Atlantic Division. The sting of letting three straight games slip away in overtime is real, but Buffalo also has points in seven of its last eight games and a 4-4-3 record. The Sabres had a 40-22 advantage in shots and a 19-8 advantage in high-danger chances in this game, according to Natural Stat Trick. Getting the third-period comeback to come away with at least a point was key. Now they have to find ways to turn these games into two points.

Here’s what else we saw in Buffalo’s third straight overtime loss:

1. Alex Lyon has been one of the Sabres’ best players early in the season, but this was a rough game for him. Despite the Sabres having a heavy shot advantage early in the game, they ended up falling behind 2-0. Morgan Geekie scored on a perfect shot on the power play. Then David Pastrnak scored on a two-on-one, beating Lyon five hole.

Boston’s third goal was the one Lyon will want back, though. He let two shots hit him without swallowing up the rebound. The second shot snuck through him and gave the Bruins an easy tap-in. Buffalo’s coverage in front of the net could have been stronger, but that’s the type of goal Lyon has avoided early in the season. In overtime, he got beat clean off the rush on the short side.

According to MoneyPuck, Lyon’s goals saved above expected finished at -1.56, his worst game of the season. He’s now played nine of the Sabres’ first 11 games. That workload is not going to be sustainable if it leads to games like this one. Buffalo has three goalies on the roster, and though Lyon is clearly the one Ruff trusts the most, the Sabres can’t afford to wear him out too early in the season. They need to find out which of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Colten Ellis is capable of being a reliable No. 2.

2. Josh Doan has become Mr. Reliable for the Sabres. The Sabres were down two goals entering the third period, and Doan was playing with the necessary desperation. He scored by crashing the net, swatting a rebound out of the air and whacking it into the net.

Josh Doan right in front of the net pays off yet again 👏 pic.twitter.com/L4KMyLdOxj

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 31, 2025

On the game-tying goal, Doan was at the front of the net creating traffic. He outmuscled Henri Jokiharju, who bumped into Joonas Korpisalo. The Bruins challenged for goalie interference but it was ruled a good goal. Doan’s playing style is exactly what this lineup needed.

3. Mattias Samuelsson was rock-solid for the Sabres in this game. He blocked three shots, including a key block late in regulation on the penalty kill. He didn’t have a single giveaway, and the Sabres earned 78 percent of expected goals when he was on the ice at five-on-five. Samuelsson looks great to start the year and he hasn’t stacked this many strong games together since the 2022-23 season.

4. Jordan Greenway made his season debut for the Sabres in this game as a center on the third line. That should tell you all you need to know about the state of Buffalo’s center depth. With Josh Norris and Tyson Kozak out with injuries, the Sabres are desperate for competent center play. Greenway isn’t a long-term solution there, but he does have the size and defensive game to hold his own.