It seems like every season, one team puts together a run that baffles the critics, but who didn't really see this coming? The Sabres were a team that is much better than the record shows, and it seems as though they are finally putting it together at the right time. Is it too late for the Sabres to make a push for the 8th spot? I'm not so sure it is....I'm also not certain that this run is necessarily about the 2012 season.
There is no denying that sometimes all it takes is a hot goaltender to carry you into a playoff run, (Halak, Ward and of course Patrick Roy)....unquestionably, Ryan Miller is that goalie. Past performances and vezinas aside, he has now gone on an 8-1-1 tear, posting a .946 sv%, in which he has basically put Buffalo on his back. Piece that together with the likes of a healthy Myers and Ennis, and sprinkle in struggling squads like Caps and Jets, there is no reason why this Buffalo team couldn't lock up that final playoff spot. However, the real question is once there, can they take down a Rangers or Bruins team? Honestly, this year, it doesn't really matter.
No one is thick enough to believe this Sabres team is winning a cup, but a good playoff round will only make those young assets stronger. Myers and Ennis, both crucial to this franchise and both incredibly young. They are the cornerstones of this squad, and you know it is only a matter of time before they develop into those big time players like a Karlsson or Seguin. Still a very young goaltender in Miller, and an established, beloved coach in Ruff. The chemistry is there, the experience will be there and the pieces will come when they are ready to make a push.
So is this just a flash in the pan or a fluke.......I think this is the next Stanley Cup contending team....just a few years away.
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