"Well, look at what suddenly showed up at First Niagara Center for the first time all season. Whether it was Lindy Ruff watching from the press box or James Patrick running the bench mattered little. For one game Wednesday, the Sabres uncovered all that had been missing this season.

OK, so the Sabres are 54 games into the regular season and need a tow rope to pull them to altitudes reserved for playoff contenders. They're one bad spill from tumbling back down the mountain and rolling off a cliff. For one game, they hiked up their pants, put up their dukes, accepted a challenge and won.

And that, my friends, is progress."