www.si.com/onsi/breakaway Sabres Might Just Be For Real Marriages don’t deteriorate overnight. There’s often a gradual decline, sometimes over years or decades, that leads to an eventual breaking point and makes divorce inevitable.

Michael Kesselring (ankle) was back on the ice with the team Saturday morning but will need a few more practices before he’s ready to re-enter the lineup. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Saturday that a decision on Kesselring’s playing status will come “midweek.”

The Sabres find themselves outside of the top-eight in the conference, in spite of going 13-2 in the last 15 games, but could move back into a wildcard spot with a win over the Flyers, who they are tied in the standing with at 52 points.

The Buffalo Sabres notched a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night at KeyBank Center, powered by a pair of power-play goals from Rasmus Dahlin. The victory moved Buffalo (25-16-4, 54 points) back into the first wild card position in the Eastern Conference,

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres square off in Eastern Conference action. New York has a 5-10-4 record in home games and a 20-18-6 record overall. The Rangers are 17-2-1 when scoring at least three goals. Buffalo is 22-15-4 overall and 9-10-2 in road games. The Sabres have a 20-3-3 record when scoring at least three goals.

And what matters most to Dahlin is that he’s contributing to wins. The Sabres have now won 14 of their past 16 games and are sitting in a wild-card position with a .600 points percentage. And they get another big game in the standings when they host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.

A tight game like Monday’s 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers serves as a harbinger for the Sabres. Down the stretch, with every point precious in the ultra-tight Eastern Conference, expect more heavy,

Thursday should be a fun night at the arena wrapped around an important game. Not only is Montreal in town, but it’s also 2005-2006 reunion night with some fan favorites coming back like Ryan Miller,

Two teams in the top half of the Eastern Conference standings square off when the Buffalo Sabres (25-16-4, sixth in conference) host the Montreal Canadiens (26-14-7, fourth) at KeyBank Center on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. Buffalo secured a 5-2 home victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in its last game on Jan. 14.

BUFFALO – Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin has always been his own worst critic, holding himself to the highest of standards. Dahlin, one of the NHL’s most talented defensemen, has enjoyed a season that for just about anyone else would be considered pretty darn good.