BUFFALO – As captain Rasmus Dahlin, still in full practice gear and sweaty from a long session, stood behind a podium fielding questions, the topic turned to the Sabres’ upcoming stretch of 25 games in 50 days to close the regular season.
For the first time in Dahlin’s career – he and center Tage Thompson, having both arrived in 2018-19, are the team’s longest-tenured players – the Sabres are in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot in late February.
For a split-second, as he thought about the question posed to him, Dahlin seemed to be daydreaming about about the special opportunity that lies ahead. He put both hands on his stick and leaned forward a bit.
“I mean, unbelievable,” he said following Monday’s practice in LECOM Harborcenter, his first since session after returning from the Olympics.
The Sabres begin tonight’s road game against the New Jersey Devils having earned 70 points, a total good for the Eastern Conference’s first wild card spot, one point up on the Boston Bruins. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals, the first two teams out of the playoff chase, have both registered 65 points.
Dahlin, a fierce competitor and one of the NHL’s elite defensemen, said he shifted back into Sabres mode last week as soon as Team USA eliminated Team Sweden at the Milano Cortina Games.
“I’m so excited to get this thing going, and we have a really good thing going on,” he said. “And now the fun begins. Now, the most important games start. So I can’t be more excited for this.”
Coach Lindy Ruff said the Sabres “should be excited.” Having compiled an NHL-best 21-5-2 record since Dec. 9, they’ve positioned themselves nicely to end their league record 14-year playoff drought.
“We’re in a good spot,” Ruff said. “I mean, we’ve worked hard to get to where we’re at. Now, you got to deal with that. That’s our next goal is to deal with these games one game at a time knowing that all the teams around you are clawing in or trying to create a little bit of space.
“We’ve earned where we’ve got to. We’ve played good hockey.”
Over the past week, after the Sabres reconvened following the Olympic break and practiced five times, Ruff said could see the energy building in the sessions.
“We’ve earned the right now for this grind we’re going to be in for the rest of the year,” he said. “We played hard before the break to get to this point, and we know it’s going to be extremely hard from the first game we play right until the end.”
The long break between games – the Sabres last played Feb. 5 – doesn’t worry Dahlin.
“We have so much talent in that room,” he said. “We have a tight group, so now the first couple games, I think you just got to really focus on work, compete and skate, and then all the good stuff is going to come after.”
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Ruff told reporters today in New Jersey that Thompson, who on Sunday won the gold medal with the U.S. at the Olympics, will play tonight.
Thompson spent Tuesday with some of his U.S. teammates in Washington and joined the Sabres late that night.
After playing six games in Italy, Thompson has had a dizzying few days. What kind of role could he have tonight?
“I think we’ll just evaluate as the game goes,” Ruff told reporters. “I understand it’s been a heck of a three days emotion-wise and everything they’ve gone through. So just watch minutes.”