Take heart, Buffalo!

I have to admit that a split of the first two games would not have shocked me. But going down 0-2 in the first two games does surprise me. Wow. So the Sabres are facing the biggest test of these playoffs yet.

I remember reading an article toward the end of last year's football season that predicted that the Colts would win the Super Bowl, despite the fact that at that point they were heading for the third seed in the playoffs. The idea was that a bunch of times in recent years, teams in various pro sports have posted amazing records one year, taken the top seed in their sport, exited the playoffs early, and then won it all the next year despite a less productive season. So maybe there's precedent for the Sabres to come back next year and --

Oh, screw that. We want the Cup this year, right? Nobody should utter a single syllable of "Wait 'til next year" until the Sabres have taken their fourth loss in a series, and that ain't happened yet.

So how to take heart? Well, how about the 1996 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves? The Braves took Game One, 12-1. And then they took Game Two, 4-0. And then? The Yankees took the next four in a row and the World Series trophy. (Not a perfect example, as Atlanta won those first two in their own park as opposed to in Yankee Stadium, but it's still a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven that came to nothing.)

Or last year's opening round of the NHL playoffs, when the Carolina Hurricanes (boo hiss) honked the first two games at home to Montreal before winning the next four to advance. The Hurricanes (boo hiss) went on to win the Cup, beating the Sabres on their way there.

And even if the Sabres lose Game Three to go down 0-3, well -- remember the Boston Red Sox and the 2004 ALCS!

It just isn't over, folks.