Thompson and JJ Peterka had hat tricks against the Bruins on Tuesday night — a good sign for Lindy Ruff's lineup tweaks.

"It feels like we need a miracle for either of Terry Pegula's core teams to ever win a championship. There's not many people in this town who can vouch that this is possible, but I can," writes Harrington.

The Sabres have the assets to entice Vancouver into a trade. The bigger question is what, exactly, Buffalo might have to give up.

The Sabres return home for an Atlantic Division showdown. The Buffalo Sabres face the Boston Bruins on Tuesday at KeyBank Center, aiming to put their 1-3-0 road trip, which ended with a 3-2 loss Saturday in Edmonton, behind them.

The B’s could be without Brandon Carlo, who Sacco said was “a little under the weather.” Carlo, who was sporting nasty gash and bruise on his cheekbone courtesy of stray puck in the win over Colorado on Saturday, did practice with the team on Monday and traveled to Buffalo but did not take Tuesday’s morning skate. He’s a game-time decision.

The Buffalo Sabres 7-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday was a positive moment in an otherwise dreary and disappointing season. Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each registered a hat trick; the first time that a pair of Sabres have scored hat tricks in 17 years (Drew Stafford and Derek Roy did it in January 2008 against Atlanta),

In this edition of On Sports, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is making the rounds at the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., a popular destination for NFL coaches to get a firsthand look at upcoming draft talent.

The club is last in the Eastern Conference with an 18-26-5 record and, barring an unprecedented run, the playoff drought that’s chased off season-ticket holders will reach 14 years.

The Bruins, back in the playoff hunt after a 5-1-1 stretch, take on a Sabres team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

The Bruins took a short-lived 1-0 lead on Mason Lohrei’s goal in the first period, but the Sabres rattled off the next four goals to ice it.

Boston was thumped in Buffalo on Tuesday, and the return of McAvoy – out since Jan. 11 with a wrist injury – will certainly help.