'Desperate team wins game'
Lindy Ruff said he wanted to see that headline, so there it is. The Sabres certainly were desperate, and they certainly did win.
Now they've got to do it about 10 more times. Friday's 7-1 trouncing of Carolina lifted the spirits of a struggling hockey team and its fans. But in order for the party to continue, they have to mimic that effort Saturday when they visit Toronto.
"We'll try not to celebrate this much longer than it takes to eat dinner, get on the bus and go," goaltender Ryan Miller said. "It's back to work. We have to make up ground. These small victories need to add up."
As bad as things have been lately -- the four-game winless streak, the one win in seven games, the injuries to the defense -- the Sabres can move into a tie for eighth place Saturday (though Philadelphia would have a game in hand).
Many were doubting whether another visit to a postseason spot could happen.
"It can happen," Miller said. "It's just a matter of us putting together solid hockey games."
All they need are more four-line efforts (the lines of Derek Roy and Adam Mair were great) and consistent defense (combined plus-8 for Mike Weber and Andrej Sekera). It sounds so easy, now we get to see if they can do it.
"It's the way we want to work every game," right wing Steve Bernier said. "We have a very good team. We were on the puck. We were driving the net. It's all the little details that make a good team or a great team. The last couple games we didn't do that, we didn't do those little details. Tonight, everybody came together."
---John Vogl
