As the NHL 4 Nation Face-Off finishes up in Boston on Thursday, NHL clubs will begin to ramp up towards the remaining one-third of the regular season on Saturday. The Buffalo Sabres practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday and took a day off on Thursday, with head coach Lindy Ruff laying out a blueprint of how the club can climb out of last place in the East and challenge for a playoff spot, but with less than a 1% chance of qualifying for the postseason, GM Kevyn Adams has to be planning on what to do in the 17days before the NHL trade deadline.