Cole Caufield scores his 12th, Hutson shines again, and more: 3 key takeaways from Montreal Canadiens' 7-5 win over Sabres 

Monday afternoon featured a battle of two struggling Atlantic Division rivals, and fans in attendance at KeyBank Centre in Buffalo were treated to a back-and-forth high-octane contest.

But in the end, the fans on hand to cheer the Buffalo Sabres went home disappointed as the Montreal Canadiens outlasted them 7-5.

The scoring happened early and often for both teams. Josh Anderson broke the ice with his third tally just 4:06 after the opening faceoff. Sabres sniper Tage Thompson responded 28 seconds later, knotting the score at 1-1.

The Canadiens and Sabres went back and forth in the middle frame, as the Habs got goals from Cole Caufield (PPG) and two from captain Nick Suzuki, while the Sabres countered with tallies from Dylan Cozens and Peyton Krebs.

Down by a goal to begin the third period, the Sabres knotted the score courtesy of captain Rasmus Dahlin at 1:58, and took the lead just under two minutes later thanks to J.J. Peterka. But midway through the third, Emil Heineman tied things up once again, setting the stage for another power-play goal from Caufield.

With goaltender Devon Levi pulled for the extra attacker, Christian Dvorak sealed the victory for Montreal by scoring into the open net.

Cayden Primeau started the game for Montreal but was pulled after yielding five goals on 14 shots, while Sam Montembeault stopped all four shots he faced. Sabres starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was also yanked after surrendering four goals on 18 shots, while Levi was victimized twice on the four shots he faced.

Take a look below at the three biggest takeaways from the high-scoring affair on Monday afternoon in Buffalo.

#3. The Canadiens won despite poor goaltending

Entering the season, the Canadiens elected to stick with the tandem of Montembeault and Primeau after dealing veteran Jake Allen at last year's trade deadline.

Both goaltenders have been inconsistent at best, and both would say Monday's game was in no way their best outing. And while the Habs picked up the two points, they absolutely must get better play out of Montembeault and Primeau if they want any realistic shot at challenging for the postseason.

#2. Lane Hutson continues to shine

The rookie defenseman continues to impress.

Not only was he second amongst all Canadiens defensemen in total ice time against Buffalo, but he also picked up a pair of assists to bring his total to 10; he is third among all NHL rookies in points.

Thanks to his accomplishments so far in the young season, don't be surprised to see his name come up in the conversation for NHL Rookie of the Year.

#1. Caufield stays hot and is NHL's leading scorer

Not only did Caufield continue his scorching hot play to begin the season, but he also is first in the league with 12 goals scored as of this writing.

Before the year began, he announced that he would be switching his uniform number to No. 13 in honor of the late Johnny Gaudreau, who was tragically killed in late August. Caufield is doing everything possible to be a living tribute to the fallen Gaudreau, and his teammates are benefitting from it.