You can look further behind your shoulder than the six-point lead the Sabres have over the New Jersey Devils for the conference lead – the barely double digit lead in the Northeast Division over the red hot Ottawa Senators is about half of what it was just weeks ago.
A Sabres fan can look at such a cushion in one of two ways, depending on how he or she sees the half-occupied glass of water.
Remember, however, that in a town where "No Goal" and "Home Run Throwback" are just now finally beginning to fade from memory, fans are still well aware that things can go awry regardless of talent and/or perceived destiny.
That being said, it would be silly for fans and media in Buffalo to panic.
The Sabres have been without Henrik Tallinder for most of the season. His return Tuesday from an ankle injury in a 7-1 laugher against the Boston Bruins may have marked the beginning of the end of a slump which had seen Buffalo go 2-5-1 in 8 games.
The presence of Tallinder is huge for this team as the playoffs approach. For those of you outside of Buffalo who still don't know how good this guy is, here's a clue – Buffalo is 15-1-1 this season with him in the lineup and just a few games over .500 without him.
Less anxiety should be directed towards a stretch of 5 points in 8 games while more concern should be focused on what GM Darcy Regier has in mind for the trade deadline, which is less than 4 weeks away.
There will be no major shakeups, but the glaring weaknesses in the areas of depth and toughness will need to be addressed, and Regier will certainly be dangling draft picks and prospects to fill a few spots, especially on the blue line.
Until then, a typical Buffalo game night will continue to be the matching up of their raw talent against the desperation of a playoff hopeful trying to pick up every last point possible.
That's just how it goes during the dog days of winter.
