Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres are having their exit interviews this weekend with head coach Don Granato and general manager Kevyn Adams, as the team's 2021-22 season came to a close on Friday.
Buffalo finished the year 24th overall in the NHL, and were only one point behind the Anaheim Ducks and two points back of the San Jose Sharks. Before the NHL Draft Lottery, the Sabres hold the ninth-best adds at winning the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
From March 1 on, Buffalo had a points percentage of .625, which was 13th overall. It was better than some good teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Sabres would also be the No. 1 Wild Card team in the Eastern Conference with Pittsburgh falling out of the playoffs. That would’ve put the Sabres into a series against the New York Rangers, who would be in first place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Sabres were eighth on the power play during those 28 games and 11th in shots-against per-game.
I went through all that just so you could see how drastic the improvement to end the season was. Kyle Okposo has always said that one season doesn’t carry into the next, but on Saturday, that tone was different.
“I’ve been up here and said that it doesn’t translate, but in thinking about it over the last couple of months, how we played and how we prepared for games was exactly like you do when you’re in the race and that’s what translates," Okposo said during his end-of-season press conference on Saturday.
“If you watched us play, we grinded, we played the right way. It wasn’t like, ‘Whatever, we just lost another meaningless game.’ We all took it personally, and that’s what you do when you’re a good team. That’s hopefully what we’re going to carry over into next year.”
“I feel like we really started to compete every game, and we find a way to play together," added Rasmus Dahlin during his end-of-season press conference. "I think other teams know when they’re coming here, it’s not going to be an easy game to play against us.”
Sabres winger Alex Tuch couldn’t agree more with the 22-year-old defenseman.
“We’ve made waves to show teams that we’re not pushovers, and it’s not going to be point night against the Sabres," said Tuch at his end-of-season press conference. "You’re going to come in and you’re going to have to outwork us, and that’s a mindset that builds into itself."
Zemgus Girgensons has spent eight seasons in Buffalo, playing 545 games without ever having sniffed the playoffs. Despite missing the playoffs again this season by 25 points, it seems like this year is different.
"This morning, my wife asked me, 'What are you going to say?' I said, 'I don't have too many complaints. It's weird. Usually, there's a lot. You have like a full list,'" said Girgensons on Saturday during his end-of-season press conference.
Dahlin showed great improvement throughout the 2021-22 season. Not only was he better offensively, but his defense improved dramatically. Dahlin says he improved on and off the ice.
“I took more of a leadership mentality to handle pressure, handle setbacks," he said. "I’ve learned to play more minutes, I’ve learned to not get caught up in mistakes on the ice. It’s been a lot. It’s been a year of growth, and I feel like a different person right now.”
By all accounts, Dahlin is more of a vocal leader in the room.
“I kind of knew that I always had it, but I wasn’t really comfortable with it," Dahlin admitted. "I don’t know what it was, but when I was younger playing with kids in my own age, this is the player I was when I was younger too. So I’m not done yet, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
As far as not being done, is there more to Dahlin’s game? He played the last two or three months of the season at the top of his game, but is there more?
“I want to say there’s a lot more. I’m not satisfied," Dahlin said. "This was the year I started to play against the other team’s top line and tried to figure out how to play. I just want to take steps in all the areas. I want to be a defenseman that the coaches can trust in every single situation.”
There are spots in the season that gave Dahlin a lot of confidence. One was being selected to the NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas.
“That gave me a push, for sure," Dahlin said. "That was a great experience, and it helped my game to get more confidence, and it made me understand that I could do more.”
Another confidence builder was Granato, praising Dahlin in every single press conference whether he deserved it or not. Dahlin was getting demolished for his play by the fans and media, and Granato wanted it to stop.
Dahlin says knowing that his head coach had his back was huge.
“He talks to everyone in the locker room, and he makes sure that you are confident," Dahlin said. "He pushes you, because he wants every single guy to succeed in there. You really feel that he has your back.
“I remember that I did some mistake against Seattle [Kraken], but he stood up for me, and it makes us players feel really good. [It] makes us keep pushing, and we want to win for him.”
So now the players head their separate ways until they start gathering again in late August or early September. Dahlin says he can’t wait for that moment.
“I’m going to miss the boys a lot," he admitted. "These are my brothers. We see each other every day, we’re getting really close, and they make every single day the best day possible.”
Dahlin said Sweden has asked him to play in the IIHF World Championship. When I asked if he’s going to play he said, “We’ll see.”
Locker room cleanout continues on Sunday, while Granato and Adams will speak Tuesday starting at 11 a.m. ET.
