BUFFALO, N.Y. — Sabres veteran Kyle Okposo enjoys winning. In fact, he doesn't want the season to end.
"I haven't talked about this with the guys, I don't want this year to end," Okposo said. "It has been so fun, I have a feeling a lot of guys in that room feel the same way."
It's true. The Sabres, for the most part, wish they could've been playing this type of hockey earlier in the season. With a shuffled roster due to COVID and injuries, it was tough, but it seems they are starting to piece together what's needed to be successful.
The Sabres rank 25th in the NHL, but over the last month, they have looked like a playoff-caliber team. Buffalo is 6-1-3 in their last 10 games, and this is exactly what the franchise wants to see as they close out the regular season.
The team is starting to develop right in front of our eyes.
"It feels we are planting the roots deeper this year," Okposo said. "The way that we are building the relationships and culture here is what carries over."
Now 21 year old, Dylan Cozens has a similar perspective to Okposo now that the team has found their winning ways.
"We look back earlier in the season and we are winning now, we wish we could've done that earlier to put ourselves in a better position. Nobody wants it to end, but we are all having fun right now and hope to keep that going into next year," Cozens said.
Carrying and sustaining this success into the future is the main goal right now for Buffalo, and they seem to be making it look easier and easier as time goes on.
Next up: Buffalo squares off with Carolina on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.