"The Buffalo Sabres held a late-afternoon practice at First Niagara Center after players got back into town Monday from the All-Star break. Coach Lindy Ruff demanded high-tempo drills and he eventually got them, with the 75-minute workout one of the crisper-looking ones this team has put together in some time.

There was plenty of upbeat talk in the locker room afterward, and then it was time to head to the airport for the flight to Montreal in preparation for tonight's game against the Canadiens in the Bell Centre.

But there's a reality looming around the room too: The Sabres are 14th in the East and several players could be in their final month in the Blue and Gold if the team becomes a seller at the Feb. 27 trade deadline."