The Buffalo Sabres have showcased fleeting moments of promise during their first 20 games of the 2025-26 NHL season, but the reality remains much the same from the past 14 years of misery as they occupy last place in the Eastern Conference with a 7-9-4 record.
Sabres fans entered the campaign with a dose of renewed optimism as projections from the analytics community put the Blue and Gold firmly in the playoff conversation. Alas, it's not even Thanksgiving and the team's chances of ending its postseason drought are already fading.