Zemgus Girgensons woke up ahead of his ninth locker cleanout day as a member of the Buffalo Sabres and realized how different it felt from years past.
The Sabres put an exclamation point on their promising season with an overtime victory over the Blackhawks on Friday, followed by a rousing tribute to retiring broadcaster Rick Jeanneret.
It was a campaign that no player wanted to end, but also one that inspired feelings of optimism when it came time for Saturday's first round of exit interviews.
Sabres veterans believe growth can carry into next season
Takeaways from Day 1 of Sabres exit interviews
![20220430_Anderson](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size20/f_auto/prd/hs2jxannl9alhlvnbwld.jpg)
Locker Cleanout: Zemgus Girgensons
Locker Cleanout: Mark Pysyk
Locker Cleanout: Kyle Okposo
Locker Cleanout: Jeff Skinner
Locker Cleanout: Craig Anderson
Malcolm Subban sings U.S. national anthem
Locker Cleanout: Malcolm Subban
Fans salute RJ one final time
Locker Cleanout: Rasmus Dahlin
Locker Cleanout: Alex Tuch