"Jason Pominville smiled every time. While sitting in the hospital, overjoyed with the birth of his first child, Pominville would hear the same line whenever a nurse came to visit.

"So, the population of Pominville went up, huh?"

The Buffalo Sabres' alternate captain relished the comment each time it was repeated. He and his wife, Kim, had just welcomed Jayden John into the world Monday, so anyone could have said anything over and over and Pominville would have grinned.

"We're all excited," Pominville said Tuesday. "It was probably one of the best days of my life. It's awesome. It's tough to describe what it really is."

The newest numbers in Pominville's life are 6 pounds, 13 ounces, the weight of his son. His other numbers are good, too. The right winger is second on the Sabres with nine points, and he has reached the score sheet in seven of the last nine games heading into tonight's visit by the New York Islanders in HSBC Arena.

The trick now is to keep active on the ice while being busy at home. Both sets of grandparents are coming to town this week. A bigger factor, of course, is an infant who doesn't care what time the game is or when the pregame nap is scheduled. Pominville heard numerous stories Tuesday about the lack of sleep that awaits."