"Ryan Miller knows the Sabres can't escape the reality of their situation. They are in 14th place in the Eastern Conference following Saturday's 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay. They have just 27 games remaining.

If they are to have any chance of making the playoffs, the loss to the Lightning has to be one of Buffalo's final setbacks of the season.

"We did it to ourselves," Miller said in his stone-silent First Niagara Center dressing room. "We know we don't have many losses that we can put out there anymore. As I see it, there's probably seven or eight losses available for us out of the next [27] games, to be realistic.

"That's just the way it is. We have to regroup, recover and learn what we can."

What they can learn from Saturday's showing is 20 minutes of effort won't cut it. Of course, that's a lesson they should have learned long ago.

"It wasn't good enough," said coach Lindy Ruff, whose team nearly erased a third-period deficit for the second straight night. "We played one period, but one period, that's not good enough."

Tampa Bay exploited Buffalo's turnovers, inaccurate passing and lackadaisical effort during the second period. It resulted in a 2-0 lead for the visitors, who dealt the Sabres their first regulation loss in seven games and their first loss at home since Dec. 10."