Does anybody want to finish eighth in the Eastern Conference?
It sure doesn’t seem that way. Maybe it’s because having the New York Rangers as a first round opponent is a daunting task (just kidding, no pro team would give up that easy), but what at once seemed like a race between Florida, Washington, Winnipeg and Toronto has now opened up to include the likes of Tampa Bay and Buffalo.
Buffalo? The team that was being called on by some onlookers to trade Derek Roy and even Ryan Miller? That’s right – and it’s Miller who’s been leading the charge.
Despite sitting 25th in goals-for per-game, the Sabres have found new life lately, mostly because Miller has found his all-star caliber game again. The NHL’s first star of the week, Miller shutout both the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks and took the New York Rangers into extra time. He’s also beaten Boston and Pittsburgh lately and, suddenly, the Sabres are only two points behind Winnipeg for eighth place, with a game in hand. Good goaltending can be all the difference and with Tampa Bay, Washington and even Florida struggling for consistency in that department, Miller could really prove the difference down the stretch.
The Hockey News ranks the teams 1-30 each Monday based on a combination of last week’s play and a squad’s overall outlook.
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