“One goal was all that stood between the Buffalo Sabres and a berth in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference in 2010-11 earned the Sabres a first-round date with the second-seeded Philadelphia Flyers. In Game 6, with Buffalo holding a 3-2 series lead, the Sabres found themselves in overtime, on the verge of advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2007. Instead, Ville Leino scored for the Flyers to force a Game 7, where they handed Buffalo an early exit from the postseason.

This year’s Sabres will be a far different unit than the one that bowed out of the playoffs so cruelly this past spring.”