Ten wins in twelve games. That says it all. The Buffalo Sabres are the hottest team in the NHL right now. Back around a month ago when the Sabres were in a slump, losing 6 out of 7 games, Lindy Ruff gave the team a challenge. He told them that he wanted the Sabres to win the next 6 out of 8 games. Since then, the Sabres have won 10 of 12 games and have gotten 21 of a possible 24 points since. The only loss was a shootout loss to the Rangers.

The Sabres this week came on strong after an embarrassing loss to the San Jose Sharks last week. They beat both the Colorado Avs and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks to forge into second place in the Northeast Division.

Back on November 10^th when the Sabres had lost 5-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes, for their 4^th straight loss, things were at the low point. All the hype about a great start had been wiped out. The Sabres came back and beat the Leafs on November 11, 5-2 , but then were demolished 6-1 the next night by their new tormentors, the Ottawa Senators. From that point on, the Sabres turned their season around and have become the hottest team in the NHL.

The Sabres this last week showed that resiliency that used to be the signature of the Buffalo Bills back in their 4-year Super Bowl run. They have the ability to persevere both injury and setbacks to rise to the occasion to do whatever necessary to win. A week ago, the Sabres came back from a 2-0 deficit and beat the Habs in overtime 3-2. They held on to a 6-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche last Sunday and then pulled a dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 overtime victory over the Mighty Ducks on Thursday night.

There was one loss sandwiched in there, a 5-0 embarrassment against the Joe Thornton-led San Jose Sharks. That was a game where the Sabres were completely exhausted after a 3-games in 4 nights routine.

The game against the Sharks was an accident waiting to happen. The Great Law of Averages took its toll a week ago Friday night in Buffalo. The Sabres were on a roll and were tired after a long road trip. The San Jose Sharks were waiting to ambush the Sabres in their home court. On top of that, they wanted to prove that they got the better end of the trade that sent Joe Thornton to them a few days earlier.

The Boston Bruins got their uplift a day earlier in beating the torrid Ottawa Senators 3-0. The Sharks wanted to do one better. They actually did two better as they beat Buffalo 5-0, scoring 4 goals in the first period and chasing goalie Mika Noronen.

Thornton was instrumental in setting up several goals and he loved doing it in Buffalo. The Sabres had already beaten his former Bruins 3 times this year and he was ready to make a statement. And this was a statement in bold red letters.

The Sabres had won 5 straight and were considered the hottest team in the NHL. The Sharks, on the other hand, were one of the worst, if not the worst. They had lost 10 straight and were hoping to turn things around with the addition of Joe Thornton, acquired a couple days before.

The Sabres were about to play their 3rd game in 4 nights, while the Sharks were resting in Buffalo waiting to jump start their season again with Thornton leading the way. The Law of Averages slammed the Sabres to the boards and didn't let up all night. It was the second worst defeat of the season for the Sabres. Only the 10-4 embarrassment handed to them by the Ottawa Senators in October was worse.

Sunday night against the Avalanche, the Sabres almost pulled a Bills meltdown. Like the Bills a few hours earlier, the Sabres ran up the score early, only to collapse and allow the other team back in the game. The Sabres took a 4-1 first period lead, and the Avs came back and tied it up. Unlike the Bills, the Sabres didn't fold and Derek Roy scored the game winner late in the game. An insurance empty-netter by former Av Chris Drury sealed the game for the Sabres, making it a 6-4 final.

The Sabres then got to rest a few days before getting back to action against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Like in the Sharks game, the Ducks came on strong and took the early lead. Buffalo tied it up in the third period when Thomas Vanek notched a pretty penalty shot goal that got past JS Giguere, but the Ducks came right back and got the lead back. Then Ales Kotalik, the Sabres leading scorer, forced the overtime with a goal that tied it up at 2-2 in late the third period. Maxim Afinogenov scored the winner while the Sabres had a powerplay in the sudden death and the Sabres continued their roll.

During these times of trial and tribulation with the Buffalo Bills, it's so nice to have the Sabres to fall back on With the Bills about to implode and the fans revolting, the Sabres are quietly winning most of their games recently and are providing an alternative to the ways of the new Bickering Bills.

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