TORONTO — The Buffalo Sabres will be the first to admit it. As far as the NHL

schedule goes, they've had it easy. Three-game work weeks, Sundays off, Monday, Tuesday and

Thursday to fine-tune things ... not a bad gig.

They knew at some point, though, payback was coming. It's here. December is cold in more

ways than one.

The Sabres will play 15 games this month, second only to the 16 they'll play in March. They

get two days off starting today, an extended break they won't see again until Santa Claus

comes to town. It's a minimum of every other night till the Christmas break.

The Sabres close this week with home games Thursday against Montreal and Saturday against

the New York Rangers. The next two weeks feature games on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and

Saturday. The month's final stretch has five games in nine nights, with two of the off days

being mandated by the league — Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

"That changes a lot of things," coach Lindy Ruff said prior to Monday's game against

Toronto. "Very little practice time. A lot of what we're going to try to do is going to have

to be through video."

If things are going poorly, that's a bad thing. On-ice teaching is more effective, but Ruff

will have little choice but to rest his players some days.

On the flip side, it gives the team an opportunity to rapidly climb the standings. Before

facing the Maple Leafs, the Sabres were tied with Atlanta for the fewest games played (23).

San Jose had played 28, while a half-dozen clubs were four games up on Buffalo.

"We've got some catching up to do through the league with games," Ruff said. "It's our

opportunity to put some points on the board."

The "one game at a time" cliche is likely to be dropped as often as the puck this month,

but center Adam Mair looks at the run differently.

"It's very much like a playoff schedule," he said in Air Canada Centre. "You might be able

to treat it a little bit that way with your focus and the way that you approach that grouping

of games [in a certain week]."

. . .

The Sabres were again without captain Craig Rivet and center Paul Gaustad, who suffered leg

injuries Friday and missed their second straight games. Neither player made the trip to

Toronto.

Gaustad is expected to miss at least two weeks, while Rivet is day to day.

"He's had all the tests, and they determined it won't be a long time for him," Ruff said.

"I would think he would skate [today]."

. . .

The Olympics are rarely far from the minds of hockey fanatics, especially in the host

country of Canada. Even though Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller had already faced his Team USA

leaders — Toronto General Manager Brian Burke and coach Ron Wilson — the topic of

playing in front of them was discussed again.

"It doesn't matter," Miller said. "If it becomes a focal point, I'm thinking of the wrong

things. I have to play well for the Sabres in order to make the Olympic team.

"I'm trying to play it down. It doesn't happen until February, and it depends on me being a

high performer in a really tough league."

. . .

There will be an autograph session with Miller in support of his Steadfast Foundation

collection of caps from 5 to 6 p.m. today at New Era Cap Co.'s flagship store, 160 Delaware

Ave., Buffalo.

Four limited edition caps will be available for $20 each, cash or check only. All proceeds

benefit the charity.