'The Sabres missed the playoffs for the third straight year but gave the fans something to cheer about with a 9-2-1-3 record in March and the best record in the Eastern Conference after the trade deadline. "We gained a lot of experience," defenseman Jay McKee said. "The only way to get better is with experience and hard work, especially with the young guys. It's tough. Every game we played this last month was a must-win. Guys really stepped up to that challenge."'