Costly OT penalty, blown lead and more: 3 reasons why Boston Bruins lost 3-2 in OT to Buffalo Sabres 

The Boston Bruins lost a close 3-2 overtime decision to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night at TD Garden. The loss extended the Bruins' current losing streak to three games, while the victory gave the Sabres two wins in a row.

Pavel Zacha got his 14th of the season for the Bruins, with Morgan Geekie adding his 23rd. Peyton Krebs (PPG), Owen Power and Alex Tuch (PPG) got the goals for the Sabres.

Here's a closer look at three reasons why the Boston Bruins lost to the Buffalo Sabres in overtime on Monday night.

3 reasons why Boston Bruins lost 3-2 to Buffalo Sabres in OT

#3. Anemic offense

The Boston Bruins once again had an anemic offense, registering a concerningly low shot count. The Bruins managed just 19 shots on goal, getting outshot 8-5 in the third period. Then, the Sabres pounded the Bruins in overtime, getting six shots on net to the Bruins’ two.

Overall, the Bruins played a tough, physical game, but just couldn’t seem to get much of anything going. It has become evident that Charlie McAvoy’s absence, in addition to players moved at the trade deadline, has left a significant hole the club will need to address in the offseason.

#2. Blown lead

The Bruins entered the first intermission up 2-1. Instead of building on the lead, Boston allowed the Sabres to get back into the game, with Owen Power scoring his seventh of the season at the 12:48 mark of the second period.

The Bruins were unable to get much going offensively in the third period, eventually surrendering the game-winner in overtime.

The blown lead stings for the Bruins as the club has been struggling of late. They are 3-6-1 in their last 10. While the Bruins got a loser point out of the game, it doesn’t help much In the standings.

#1. Costly OT penalty

The game looked destined for a shootout until Marat Khusnutdinov took a tripping penalty late in the OT period. The penalty allowed Buffalo's power play to get plenty of chances to end the game.

In the end, it was Alex Tuch who ended the game with 11 seconds to go in overtime. The Sabres ended the night 2-for-4 on the power play, with the overtime penalty proving costly for the Bruins on Monday night.

The Bruins will have a couple of days to lick their wounds before taking on the Vegas Golden Knights next on Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena.