The Sabres are in the playoff hunt. We've typed that sentence before and had it fall apart by February. It's March now and they're still in it, which is not something we've been able to say without wincing in a very long time. Tage Thompson is an actual problem for opposing defenses in a way that doesn't seem fully appreciated outside western New York, and Jason Zucker has been one of the better quiet additions this roster has made. The concern - always the concern with this team - is whether the goaltending holds.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has given us more reasons to believe than not this season, but a stumble at the wrong moment in a tight race makes everything feel fragile. The power play has been the offensive identity that carries them on nights when the even-strength game gets too conservative. JJ Peterka keeps finding ways to contribute even when the top line isn't clicking, which is the kind of secondary scoring this team has needed for years.

KeyBank Center has been louder this year. You can feel it. Getting to a home game down the stretch is worth it - this fanbase has waited for a meaningful March and now it's here. The building is different when there's something at stake. The Sabres still haven't closed out close games as consistently as a real playoff team needs to, and that's the unresolved thing every fan is carrying around. But we're still here. Still watching. That part hasn't changed even when everything else did.