from Neil Best of Newsday,

Where have you gone, Connor McDavid? Our nation of hockey fans turns its lonely eyes to you.

You, too, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, John Tavares and all those other star players toiling somewhere in Canada who might as well be playing in Novosibirsk for all we see of them these days.

Come to think of it, same goes for many U.S.-based hockey luminaries, from Patrick Kane to Nathan MacKinnon.

Instead, we get the Sabres. Lots and lots and lots of Sabres.

Buffalo has played 20 games since returning from a two-week, early February COVID-19 absence, 12 against the Islanders, Rangers or Devils. They have lost 18 of those 20, the past 14 in a row.

Our mission here is not to criticize the NHL.

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