Sharpen Up: April 18, 2023 | Sabres reflect on 2022-23 season

The Buffalo Sabres met with the media for end-of-season interviews over the weekend to reflect on a campaign in which they just fell short of their goal of making the playoffs.
The Sabres wrapped up the 2022-23 season with 42 wins and 91 points, but fell two points shy of clinching a Wild Card berth.
We have full coverage of locker cleanout here on Sabres.com.
Here's what you need to know.

Last week's big story

The Sabres' season came to an end after a 9-2-1 run to close out the season. A loss in Game No. 80 eliminated them from playoff contention, but they still put together a pair of solid efforts in wins over Ottawa and Columbus to finish the year.

"Everyone counted us out a lot of times and we just found ways to stay in that race, and I think we learned a lot about this group that we're never going to give up, we're never going to quit," Dylan Cozens said.
Read more about what the team learned from playing in big games here.

For more takeaways from Day 1, including thoughts from Kyle Okposo, click here.
Check out all the exit interviews here.

The week ahead

Kevyn Adams and Don Granato will speak with the media on Wednesday to put a wrap on the season. Their press conference will stream live on the Sabres' social media channels.
Sabres.com's Season in Review series will be launching as well so keep an eye out for written features, stat graphics and highlight videos over the next few weeks.

What else to watch for

The Rochester Americans are looking to capture their first Calder Cup since 1996 when they open their AHL playoff slate against Syracuse on Friday.
As the No. 3 seed in the North Division, they clinched a first-round bye and will face the Crunch in a best-of-5 series.
Game 3 will be played in Rochester on Friday, April 28. If necessary, the Amerks will host Game 4 on Sunday, April 30.
Check out Amerks.com for the latest happenings in Rochester.
We'll also be keeping tabs on the Sabres players who have committed to playing at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, which will take place in Latvia and Finland starting May 12.
Alex Tuch, Devon Levi, Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka are among the Sabres who are set to participate.