The Buffalo Sabres have not won a game since November 2nd. They have lost eight straight games and it now appears that they are well on their way to a 12th straight season without a playoff appearance.

The silver lining this season has been the play of Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin -- both of whom have played outstanding.

Thompson has scored 12 goals and 22 points in just 18 games. He's on pace for nearly 60 goals and 40+ goals seems likely at this point. Dahlin has scored 7 goals and 20 points this season, while Alex Tuch has also had a nice season, despite the team's record.

The Sabres will finally get much-needed help on the blueline, as one of their most important players is on track to return to the lineup tomorrow night against the Montreal Canadiens.

Sabres head coach Don Granato told the media this morning that it's likely defenseman Mattias Samuelsson returns to the lineup tomorrow night in Montreal.

Samulesson has missed 17 games with an undisclosed knee injury. It looked very serious when it happened, but thankfully, it wasn't overly serious. Samuelsson has missed roughly one month.

Samulesson was awarded with a massive contract extension just before the regular season began. He will likely be back with Dahlin and create one of the best pairs of defenseman in the NHL. Samulesson allows Dahlin to be aggressive on offense, as he is calm and collected as a defensive-minded defenseman for Buffalo.

The Sabres need all the help they can get. They sorely missed him while he was injured.

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