"Darcy Regier has been in hockey since 1974. He's been with teams from Canada to Texas, Phoenix to Hartford.

As the Buffalo Sabres' general manager stood at the lectern Tuesday discussing -- of all things -- the day-to-day status of his broken-ribbed coach, Regier smiled and said, no, he's never seen anything like this.

The Sabres' season of expectations has turned into a year of forgettable moments. The latest has coach Lindy Ruff possibly missing only the second game of his 15-year tenure when Boston visits First Niagara Center tonight.

With the Sabres well on their way to missing the playoffs, Regier found a moment to brush away the darkness and profess faith that things will get better in Sabreland."