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Buffalo Sabres Show Signs Of Progress With Strong March

The Buffalo Sabres have had a tough go of things over the last decade, missing the playoffs for 10 straight seasons and on the way to their 11th straight season without a playoff berth. For the most part during the 2021-22 regular season, things have gone as expected: the Sabres are near the bottom of the overall NHL standings, and they have had long stretches without wins on multiple occasions. March was a different month for this team though. In the month of March, the Sabres posted an 8-3-3 record in 15 games, and built up an impressive 8-game point streak before it was snapped with a 5-3 loss against the Florida Panthers, their second game in April. They have shown signs of real growth, progress, and chemistry. Perhaps that’s why general manager (GM) Kevyn Adams stayed relatively quiet at the NHL trade deadline.

Sabres Post Strongest Month In Years

The Sabres’ 9-3-3 record in March made for one of their strongest months of hockey in years. The most successful month in recent memory came back in the 2018-19 season when they won 10 straight games to take their place atop the NHL standings, before eventually cooling off and missing the playoffs. This time around feels different, though, and maybe it’s because there’s less pressure for a team that was already slated to miss the postseason anyway. It’s certainly making for an environment conducive to personal growth and development.

“We’re starting to figure out how to play every game,” veteran forward Kyle Okposo said after a recent comeback effort against the New York Rangers fell just short in overtime. “And that’s something that’s a very hard thing to do. I’m not saying that we’re there yet, because we’re not. But we’re starting to show some glimpses of it where we’re sticking to our game no matter what.” (From ‘Sabres erase multiple deficits, extend point streak in OT loss to Rangers’ NHL.com, 3/27/2021)

Henri Jokiharju, Casey Mittelstadt, Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin,…

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