The Buffalo Sabres 4-3 overtime loss to Montreal on Monday was their third in a row, but for a club in last place and 12 points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, another defeat serves only as another step towards a 14th straight season outside of the playoffs.
First things first: The Toronto Maple Leafs were not making excuses for their shootout loss to the rebuilding San Jose Sharks, and I'm not here to make excuses for them either.
The defending Western Conference champion Oilers made their first big move ahead of the NHL trade deadline by acquiring hard-nosed forward Trent Frederic from the Bruins.