"14-Year Playoff Drought Weighs Heavily on Buffalo's Hockey Fans" As the Buffalo Sabres continue to struggle on the ice, the weight of a 14-year playoff drought is palpable in the city. The team's inability to make a postseason appearance has become a constant source of frustration for fans, who were once optimistic about the team's future. The presence of star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, the second overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft, has only added to the pressure, as expectations for a return to the playoffs continue to grow. With each early-season loss, the anxiety and disappointment felt by Sabres fans grows, casting a shadow over the team's efforts to turn things around.

Fourteen years of no playoffs in a hockey-crazed town like Buffalo comes with baggage. It’s the undertone beneath every question in a postgame scrum, the angst felt after an early-season loss. Dahlin ...