The End of the Line

It's easy to lose perspective, in the frenzy of the Sabres playoff push the last two weeks. But it's important to remember what happened last summer, when you ponder what happened to the Sabres this season. Even after losing Chris Drury and Daniel Briere in free agency, the Sabres were thought to be a bona fide playoff contender. But this team never stepped up to those expectations. An inordinate amount of blown third period leads should have been the tip off that the Sabres of 2007-08 were a fragile bunch, lacking leadership and fortitude. They had their moments, throughout the season and in the playoff push, but not enough. And there has to be a smarter way to use goaltender Ryan Miller. One certain offseason agenda item has to be either obtain a backup goaltender you can trust, or commit to playing the one you have. It's a shame. The season didn't have to end this way.