3 major takeaways from Ottawa Senators’ 3-2 loss in preseason game vs Buffalo Sabres

The Ottawa Senators fell for the first time in exhibition play this season, dropping a 3-2 decision in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres at Canadian Tire Centre. Meanwhile, the Sabres improved to a perfect mark of 4-0.

First-year Senators forward Noah Gregor got things going for Ottawa, tallying the game's opening goal by converting on a two-on-one rush and beating goaltender Felix Sandstrom from the right faceoff circle:

Josh Dunne would level the score at 1-1 for Buffalo soon afterward. Adam Gaudette scored on the power play, converting a cross-ice pass from Carter Yakemchuk that was tipped onto his stick in the slot by Tyler Boucher:

However, Buffalo's Isak Rosen tied the game with 40.7 seconds remaining in regulation.

Noah Ostlund enabled Buffalo to remain undefeated, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime. Here are some of the major takeaways from the game.

#3. Thursday night was the last chance for several young prospects to make their mark

The Senators have no shortage of young players attempting to make this season's roster, including the likes of Zack Ostapchuk, Angus Crookshank, and Carter Yakemuchuk.

The first round of roster cuts is less than a day away, and the prospects are hoping they've made the upcoming decisions by coaching and management even more challenging.

“In the next 24 hours we’ll cut down and we’ll talk about it after the game,” head coach Travis Green said. “We don’t want to make hasty decisions but we’re getting to that time where we’ve got to start cutting down so we will.

“It’s probably going to be a bigger cut. I’d like to get closer to our group sooner than later., We’re not bringing a lot of guys to (Sudbury) but we’ve got to get down to our numbers.”

#2. The Senators were largely outplayed by a group of AHL players

The Sabres had exactly zero regular NHL players in their lineup after receiving a special exemption from the League ahead of their regular season opener in Munich, Germany for the Global Series Challenge.

Despite Ottawa icing a lineup mostly filled with prospects as well, the fact that they were badly outshot in the first period doesn't exactly build confidence.

#1. Linus Ullmark withstood a Sabres barrage in the first period of his Senators debut

Making his unofficial debut with the Senators after being acquired in the offseason via trade with the Boston Bruins, Linus Ullmark stood tall in the game's opening 20 minutes.

The Sabres enjoyed a shot advantage, peppering Ullmark with 24 shots compared to the five that the Senators managed on Sandstrom.

Ullmark turned aside 23 of the 24 shots he faced in the first period, later admitting that wearing a new jersey was a "weird" feeling but one that also came with plenty of excitement.

“It’s weird at first, but then once you have the jersey on, you feel a sense of pride,” Ullmark said of his Senators debut. “I got a lot of excitement out of it.

“I’m glad I got (the shots). You don’t really know how it’s going to go the first game. You have your new routines and everything like that, so I felt like a little bit scrambly there in the beginning. But after that, once I kind of settled in, it felt a lot better.”

Ullmark would ultimately stop 28 of 29 Sabres shots before being replaced midway through the game as planned by Dustin Tokarski.

The Senators continue their pre-season schedule by traveling to Sudbury for a matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night; game time is set for 8:00 PM as part of the NHL's annual Kraft Hockeyville matchup.