It's only Teenage Wasteland
The Blues might have been surprised by the Sabres on Thursday, but they won't get fooled again. This is a MUCH different Buffalo team from what we've seen in years past. For one, management is actually trying to win this time around. Also, the "real" team has been assembled, not the ghosts of teams past or pickups from the waiver wire bargain bin. The first phase of their rebuild project culminated with their last-place finish and, therefore, best-possible position for the upcoming draft lottery. They had to "settle" for Jack Eichel as their second-overall pick, but combined with their trades (notably Evander Kane at the deadline and Ryan O'Reilly in the offseason) they now had a chance to start building up again.