‘Excuse the cliche but the Buffalo Sabres need to put the past in the past in order to end their NHL-record 14-season Stanley Cup Playoff drought. Easier said than done. With every losing streak, with every midseason swoon, they constantly hear about their postseason dry spell from long-suffering Sabres fans. The hope is that Lindy Ruff, who returns for his second season in this, his second stint as Buffalo coach, can make his young players understand that they shouldn’t be burdened with the shortcomings of the past. Again, easier said than done. On paper, talent shouldn’t be an issue. Defensemen Rasmus Dahlin (2018) and Owen Power (2021) are No. 1 NHL Draft picks; forward Tage Thompson is a former 94-point player (47 goals, 47 assists in 2022-23); and forward Alex Tuch has 94 goals over the past three seasons. Peaking together simultaneously would go a long way toward creating new history.’