The Buffalo Sabres fell to the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 2-1 on Monday at Lenovo Center, marking their first back-to-back losses since early December. Despite an early lead, the Sabres were ultimately unable to solve Hurricanes' rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi, who earned his 18th win in just his 22nd career appearance. Here are three takeaways from the game:

1. Bussi's Brilliance Steals the Show: The story of the game was undoubtedly the performance of Hurricanes' goalie Brandon Bussi. The 27-year-old rookie was stellar, making 17 saves and keeping the Sabres at bay after Rasmus Dahlin's early goal. Bussi showcased his talent with a highlight-reel glove save on Tage Thompson during a 2-on-0 rush and continued to deny Thompson in the game's final seconds. According to Natural Stat Trick, Bussi was perfect in high-danger scenarios, stopping all six shots he faced. His 18 wins are the most a goaltender has ever recorded through their first 22 NHL starts.

2. Power Play Proves Pivotal: After a scoreless second period, a Sabres penalty early in the third opened the door for the Hurricanes. Seth Jarvis capitalized on the opportunity, scoring on the power play just seven seconds into the man advantage to give Carolina their first lead of the night. This goal ultimately proved to be the game-winner, highlighting the importance of special teams in a tight-checking contest.

3. Dahlin's Early Goal Not Enough: Rasmus Dahlin put the Sabres on the board early, scoring just 93 seconds into the game with a wrist shot that beat Bussi. Jack Quinn and Jason Zucker assisted on the play. However, despite the early momentum, the Sabres were unable to generate enough offense to sustain their lead. They were limited to just 19 shots on goal, struggling to find ways past Bussi. The Sabres had nine high-danger scoring chances but could not convert.

The Hurricanes extended their home winning streak against the Sabres to 13 games, the longest active home win streak against a single opponent in the NHL. Andrei Svechnikov scored his fifth goal in the last three games and Sebastian Aho recorded two assists. The Sabres continue their five-game road trip with a game in Nashville on Tuesday night.