(Buffalo) N.Y. state of mind

Though I'm trying very hard not to get too excited over the Buffalo Sabres' sizzling 9-0-0 start this season, smiles have come very easy at the mere mention of the Blue and Gold.
Even last night, as I watched Buffalo's Jiri Novotny score on a 50-foot wrist shot against Montreal's Cristobal Huet, I sensed that, for the first time in years, the bounces just might be going the Sabres' way.

We'll get another clue later this week. Monday's win against the storied Montreal franchise set a club record for most consecutive wins at the beginning of the season, bettering the old standard of eight set during the 1975-76 season. Should the Sabres beat the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum on Thursday, they will match an NHL record held by the 1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now, I'm not even remotely suggesting that the Sabres be awarded the Stanley Cup. I still believe that San Jose is the team to beat. And, like every Buffalo sports fan knows, it's a long season with a ton of games left to play.

All it takes is a single injury, a bad call or the hint of a doubt to weasel its way into the team's collective psyche. Somewhere along the line, a cold-hearted detractor will invoke the names of Brett (No Goal!) Hull or Bernie Parent. Heck, even the Leafs might beat the Sabres once this year. That's all it could take.

Until then, though, I'm going to sit back and enjoy the run. And if the Sabres win on Thursday, it'll bring yet another smile. I'll look forward to Saturday's game against Atlanta. Should they lose, though, I'll smile, too. The pressure of an improbable perfect season will be over.

It's a long season, my fellow Sabres fans, let's enjoy it.