‘“At some point every team learns there are two different seasons,” said Sabres centre Chris Drury, the most honourable Sabre in the end but whose own play against the Ottawa Senators could stand as an example of his team’s fall. “It’s just a different game [in the playoffs]. It’s ugly, it’s winning battles in the corners, it’s winning battles in front of the net. Once [head coach] Lindy Ruff made us figure that out, it gave us a chance. At the start of the series, it wasn’t like that.”’