Sabres' Futility Continues in Another Miserable Season

In this world, nothing is certain except death, taxes, and apparently, the Buffalo Sabres missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Sabres managed to delay the inevitable for a bit longer than expected, as they've won 10 of their past 13 games. However, they were finally eliminated from playoff contention following the Montreal Canadiens' win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.

As a result, the Sabres extended their NHL-record postseason drought to 14 seasons, which also ties the New York Jets for the longest active drought in North American sports.

After an OK start to the season, the wheels quickly fell off for Buffalo. The Sabres lost 13 games in a row from Nov. 27-Dec. 21, a losing streak that sent them plummeting to the very bottom of the NHL standings. While they've played decently well outside of that stretch, it was just far too deep of a hole to climb out of.

Not helping matters is the fact that the Sabres have struggled keeping the puck out of their own net all year. Ukko Pekka-Luukkonen - who Buffalo signed to a five-year, $23.75 million deal in the offseason - has a .885 save percentage, a 3.23 goals against average and a 24-23-4 record. Last season, he had a .910 save percentage, a 2.57 goals against average and a 27-22-4 record.

As hopeless as it may seem, Buffalo still has a few reasons to keep the faith.

After a down year, Tage Thompson has returned to being one of the NHL's best scorers with 71 points (44 goals, 27 assists) in as many games. Thompson is still in his prime at just 27 years old and could be the face of the franchise for years to come.

Buffalo is also set up for success on the blue line. Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Bowen Byram, all 24 or younger, are all in the top 30 for scoring among defensemen. Byram, a pending restricted free agent, will need a new deal this offseason, but Dahlin and Power are both signed into the next decade.

There's even hope in net in the form of Devon Levi, who has a .920 save percentage, a 2.17 goals against average and a 24-10-4 record in the AHL this season. Levi has been shaky in his NHL action, but the fact the Sabres are giving him time to develop is a good sign.

Of course, the Sabres have had reasons for optimism so many times throughout this drought. While they're nice to have, it's well past time for them to put the pieces together and finally make it back to the dance.