Clarke MacArthur missed Monday's practice in the Amherst Pepsi Center with an illness, but he

made the trip with his teammates to South Florida. The Sabres are so paranoid about the flu

bug racing through their team that coach Lindy Ruff asked the winger to wear a surgical mask

during the flight.

Dr. Clarke MacArthur?

"More like Dr. Hook McCracken," MacArthur said by telephone before boarding the team

charter.

Tim "Dr. Hook" McCracken was a goon Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman) targeted in the movie "Slap

Shot." MacArthur is no thug. The statistics these days show that he's has found a new role

with the Sabres, that of a leading man. He has four goals and six points and was atop their

scoring list through six games.

MacArthur's illness appeared to be only a minor setback. Defenseman Steve Montador also wore a

surgical mask on the plane, as MacArthur said, to "keep me company." MacArthur loaded up on

antibiotics and is expected to play Wednesday against the Florida Panthers.

There was a sense Monday that he wouldn't miss the game if he were on life support. His

game has never been this healthy this early, just what the doctor ordered.

"He's been our best player," Ruff said. "I'm not even looking at stats. He's been our best

competitor through this first stretch of games. It's something he can be pretty proud of from

where he was at last year."

MacArthur, 24, has scored in each of the past three games. He converted a penalty shot in

Friday's win over the Islanders and buried a slap shot between Johan Hedberg's legs the

following night in a loss to Atlanta. His other goals came last week against Detroit and Oct.

8 against the Phoenix Coyotes, both victories.

Of course, riding the left wing with playmaker Tim Connolly and shooter Jason Pominville is

enough to make anybody feel better. The line has five goals and 12 points over the past three

games. Tim Kennedy moved to the third line with Jochen Hecht and Mike Grier, which has made

that line more effective.

"I'm feeling a lot more comfortable now," MacArthur said. "It always helps to play with

Connolly and Pominville. Those kinds of players make a lot of things happen every night. I

just want to fill in where I can."

MacArthur is no longer simply plugging a hole. He spent the summer trying to strengthen his

lower body. The improvement can be found in his skating, and he's playing with a sharper edge

than in his first three seasons. The Sabres, not to mention MacArthur, are hoping he has

finally crossed a critical barrier in his career and will become an impact player.

For a while, some wondered if he suffered from Jody Gage Disease — too good for the

AHL, not consistent enough for the NHL. He had 158 points in 153 games over parts of three

seasons in the AHL but only 53 points in 127 games over portions of three NHL seasons leading

into this one.

"I never really thought of it that way," MacArthur said. "I knew it was the NHL, and it was

going to take time to adapt. I feel like every year I was starting to feel better and better.

This year, I obviously want to show that I'm a full-time player and be a player you can count

on. That was my goal all summer. That's what I'm working toward."

Last season, he had four goals and six points in his first nine games but failed to

maintain any consistency. He played 17 straight games in a slump that began last November and

lasted nearly six weeks. He trumped that with a 20-game drought that began in January. All

told, he had 17 goals and 31 points in 71 games.

It gave him little leverage at the bargaining table. His one-year deal worth $1.4 million

was a nice bump from his $522,000 salary last year, but the short-term contract looked like a

warning. Both sides are taking a gamble. If he plays well, a long-term deal is likely. If not,

the Sabres could look elsewhere.

A good season would cure all ills.

"There's a little pressure there," he said. "I want to be able to show that I can play in

this league. That was my fuel for the summer. Maybe I didn't show enough to get a long-term

deal. I can understand that. There were times during the year where I was slumping. I want to

prove this year that I can be a long-term Sabre."

. . .

Thomas Vanek wasn't certain he would be ready to play against the Panthers, but he appeared

to be getting better Monday. He was bumped around in practice but wasn't quite 100 percent

before boarding the charter. He's recovering from an upper-body injury, believed to be his

ribs, and missed the past two games.