BUFFALO, N.Y. — There's no surprise that the Sabres missing out on the playoffs once again is a big disappointment.
But if you've followed the team as of late, you may have noticed that they've appeared to hit a new stride on their early stages of development.
2 On Your Side decided to go to KeyBank Center on Thursday to talk to Buffalo coach Don Granato and Sabres insider Paul Hamilton to see why the vibe around the team seems to have shifted in a much more positive way.
"They have won seven out of 10 games, and for the most part they beat good teams. Toronto twice, the Penguins, best road team in the NHL, they come in here, Buffalo wins it, that's a game they would've lost a month ago," Sabres insider Paul Hamilton.
So what's different about the team from last month to now? Hamiliton said, "Confidence."
Confidence, and as Granato put it, coaching the team from being conservative to aggressive.
"A lot of times you don't know how competitive these guys are, because they enter the league and they focus on staying in the league, or they get a roster spot and want to hold a roster spot so you get conservative once you get that position," Granato said.
"Play not to make a mistake is an example, and that is a big part or tangible part of what we are trying to do here. Like (I tell) Casey Mittelstadt, Tage (Thompson) and Dahlin to not worry about everything to stay in the lineup."
The shift started a few weeks back when former Sabres captain Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights came to town. Granato admitted it sparked emotion but says the timing was just a coincidence.
It wasn't just the experience itself that motivated the Sabres, it was a combination of that and the team returning to health.
2 On Your Side asked Granato: "From the outside looking in it seems ever since the Vegas Eichel night, something influenced you guys in a positive way. From your perspective have you seen your team come together since being in that experience?"
Granato responded: "Definitely there were several factors that go into that. It was an emotional night. We had 11 guys on the board injured a week before. We started getting guys in the lineup, Anderson getting back to form, with the fluctuation with the lines and depth we faced a ton of adversity, we were surviving roster depletion. If we got through it we could get more consistent and after that happened you could see our confidence soar."
Confidence, development, and comfort; that's the formula to the Sabres' success as of late. Let's see if the team can carry this into the final month of the season, and beyond.
Next up Buffalo hosts the Washington Capitals on Friday night at KeyBank Center.