Buffalo Soldiers

One team everyone should be keeping their eye on down the stretch is Buffalo. Not necessarily because I think they'll get hot enough to contend for the cup, but simply because in recent games they have reverted back to the style of play that made them such a dangerous team when they won the President's trophy a few years back. Right now, just four points separate the six teams in the Eastern conference battling for the fifth through tenth seed. You could make a case for or against any of the teams based on yesterday's activity, or lack thereof in Montreal's case, but most analysts seem inclined to give Buffalo their stamp of approval going forward.

While I'm not so crazy about the acquisition of Dominic Moore or the costly extension of Tim Connolly, I do think Buffalo can muscle an advantage over, say, Carolina or New York if the apparent resurgence of Maxim Afinogenov is for real. I don't want to over-react after he turned in just one impressive performance, but if he can maintain his focus and work-ethic, his return from injury could be bigger than most acquisitions made yesterday in the East. Everyone knows what he's capable of.
From start to finish in yesterday's game against Montreal, Mad Max was flying - in both directions. His attention to detail and play away from the puck were revolutionary. Whatever he's been doing during his time off has apparently got him motivated again, and Sabres fans immediately recognized it. There were ferocious cheers when his name was called after earning an assist on Paul Gaustad's power play goal, and even more positive noise following a shift in which he back-checked with great tenacity. If he and Lindy Ruff get on the same page, Miller's absence won't dash Buffalo's playoff hopes. With some help from his friends, this guy can take them ahead of enough teams to squeeze into eighth.