There is improvement and there is a lot of work ahead.
Pretty easy way to look at the Buffalo Sabres’ season as it concludes the first quarter with Monday night’s visit by the St. Louis Blues to First Niagara Center.
The Sabres are 8-10-2 through 20 games and have doubled their point total at this stage from last year’s 4-15-1 record. They’re much better defensively than in the past and have puck possession and faceoff numbers far from the dregs of the league that they’ve been the last two years.
But their offense continues to struggle.