from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,

We're just 10 days into 2020 and the situation is already looking dire. It's going to take a major, major run for the Buffalo Sabres to avoid extending their playoff drought to nine years.

In their first game in five days, the Sabres were outclassed, 5-1, Thursday by the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues before 18,096 in Enterprise Center.

The Sabres are 3-7-1 in their 11 games and are losing touch with any semblance of a race. They were outshot, 31-19, marking the second straight game they failed to get to 20. It was 2-0 for St. Louis after one period and 2-1 for about 5 1/2 minutes in the second after Jack Eichel's 27th goal of the season....

At 19-18-7 overall for 45 points, you can forget about the Sabres cracking the top three in the Atlantic Division. Talent and preseason prognostications have finally come through there.

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