Buffalo Sabres: 5 Keys to Making a Playoff Run in 2011-12

In the beginning of the year, the Sabres were highly touted as Eastern Conference contenders. Sabres GM Darcy Regier had traded for Robyn Regehr, and signed Ville Leino and Christian Ehrhoff.

The world was great, but with November came Ryan Miller's concussion and an injury bug that hit the Sabres harder than any other team in the league.

Now, sitting at No. 11 in the East, just four points out of a playoff spot, the Sabres need to step up their game in several areas. 

If Buffalo improves their game in five areas, a playoff spot becomes a feasible possibility.

Add Some Bruisers 

The last two teams to win the Stanley Cup—the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins—established a new pattern for success in the NHL. 

Both teams, while having an enormous amount of skill in their lineups, beat their opponents to a pulp. 

In 2009-10, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville's weapon of choice was using Dustin Byfuglien as a forward to crash the net.

Bruins coach Claude Julien's weapon of choice the following year was the extremely physical game played by his whole team.

Teams like the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals, which lacked size and physicality for the past few years, left the playoffs early along with the Sabres. 

The top teams in the Eastern Conference this year are playing an extremely physical game that the Sabres' lineup today can't match.

Buffalo has an abundance of skilled prospects who they could trade for some bruisers to add the spark they are dearly missing and so urgently need. 

Other sizable, skilled prospects like Zack Kassian are worth keeping.  Kassian should be nurtured into becoming a Milan Lucic-type player to have in the lineup when Joel Armia comes around.

Make Miller Share the Net

No one can dispute that, when at the top of his form, Ryan Miller is one of the best goalies in the NHL.  The Vezina in 2009, and his Olympic heroics for America in Vancouver are more than enough evidence of his abilities. 

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff got away with his system for a long time because his goalies, Dominik Hasek and Miller, stole games left and right.

When Miller's on a hot streak, he gets in a zone and plays with intense focus.  After his concussion, however, he lost his edge.

Now, with forwards abusing him more, he's been increasingly disgruntled; his concentration level has not been the same. 

Miller's record of 10-10 with two overtime losses and .900 save percentage are awful compared to what he's capable of.   

Jhonas Enroth is 8-7 with two overtime losses and a .921 save percentage.  It's time—until Miller finds his form again—to play Enroth more often. 

Vancouver did it successfully this year, playing Cory Schneider in consecutive games when Roberto Luongo was faltering.  Ruff could take a page out of their book.

Get Dirty

Why did Vancouver lose the Stanley Cup last year?  They did not have enough bruisers to protect the Sedins. 

Simple as that. 

The Sabres need to get their hands dirty if they want a shot at making the playoffs. 

Let's face it.  Looking at the lineup today, the Sabres are 95 percent non-fighters.  Ehrhoff injured himself in a fight.  This soft lineup cannot compete with teams like the Flyers and the Bruins. 

The players need to hold their own and protect the first line, and Miller, from abuse.

Get Healthy

One of the onuses of your team not being prepared for the grind is the ridiculous amount of injuries that result.  No other team in the NHL has been so maligned by injuries as the Sabres.

In order for the team to step up its game in an effort to at least make a run for the playoffs, the players need to be healthy.  The lineup needs to be the Buffalo Sabres, not the minor league team's players.

Score, Score Some More, And Keep Scoring

Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek have been lighting it up all season long.  In 39 games played, Pominville has 40 points and Vanek has exactly a point per game. 

With 30 percent of the goals scored split among these two men, the Sabres need their other forwards to step up. 

Players like Drew Stafford, Tyler Ennis and Derek Roy need to produce like they were last year in order for the team to at least make a push for the playoffs. 

In conclusion, what would make the Sabres better, in my opinion, is firing coach Ruff and starting a rebuilding process. 

But with the expensive, long contracts to underachieving players, and Regier's longtime partnership with Ruff, this seems highly unlikely. 

The keys mentioned above are by no means definitive, but taking into consideration what the Sabres have to work with and the task ahead, these are the most glaring areas that need to be fixed in order for the Sabres to be at least in playoff contention.