The Buffalo Sabres fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a tightly contested 4-3 overtime loss on Saturday night, splitting their home-and-home series after a 5-3 victory in Buffalo the previous night. The game, which marked Buffalo's first overtime game of the season, saw John Tavares score his 499th NHL goal on a breakaway to secure the win for Toronto. Here are three takeaways from the Sabres' performance:

1. Special Teams Shine Despite the Loss

Despite the defeat, the Sabres' special teams continued to be a bright spot. The penalty kill was perfect, denying all three of Toronto's power-play opportunities. This performance brings their penalty kill percentage up to an impressive 93.9%, ranking them second-best in the league. Given that they've been shorthanded 33 times, the seventh-most in the NHL, this is particularly noteworthy. The power play also contributed, with Tage Thompson scoring a goal with the man advantage. This makes the Sabres 7-for-30 on the power play for the season, placing them 11th in the league with a 23.3% success rate.

2. Defensive Scoring Continues to Emerge

The Sabres are getting scoring contributions from their defensemen. Bowen Byram scored a key goal in the second period, tying the game at two. Byram's goal showcased his offensive capabilities, reminiscent of his time with the Colorado Avalanche where he tallied 18 goals in 97 games. This goal follows Mattias Samuelsson's two goals in the previous game against Toronto.

3. Luukkonen's Return Marked by Missed "Big Saves"

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made his season debut for the Sabres, stopping 18 of 22 shots. While the Sabres did a good job limiting the Maple Leafs' scoring chances, Luukkonen struggled to make key saves at crucial moments compared to Lyon and Colten Ellis. Ellis was originally slated to start but experienced back discomfort, leading to Luukkonen's unexpected start.

Overall, the Sabres showed promise despite the overtime loss. Tage Thompson's strong performance, with two goals, and the continued success of the special teams offer encouraging signs. The Sabres will look to regroup and build on these positives as they prepare to host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs will host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.