‘“The whole season I played with a brace that felt like a straightjacket,” Rivet said inside HSBC Arena, where the Sabres cleaned out their lockers following their first-round playoff loss to the Boston Bruins. “I was never Nicklas Lidstrom to begin with, but I think I’m a better player than what I’ve shown. Just throughout the season, the wear and tear on it, the loss of strength, it took away from a lot of the things I was able to do. It kind of feels like I’m giving you an excuse for my season, and I don’t think there is an excuse,” he said. “I think I can be a lot better player, though.”’