Ryan Miller

The 2012 NHL All-Star Game signifies crunch-time for teams, and these underachieving NHL stars must be better down the stretch if they hope to help their teams. With roughly 33 games remaining for each team, it's nearing the desperation point for these men. 

Whether it be a big contract or even bigger expectations, these players must play their best if their team is to make anything of themselves over the next four months. 

How many more NHL stars need to land on the infirmary report before the NHL takes action?

The Pittsburgh Penguins rebounded from an ugly loss to the New York Rangers by shutting the Washington Capitals down. The Capitals could only manage two shots on goal in the third period and lost to the Pens by the score of 2-1.

Last night, the electrifying Buffalo Sabres stepped into the First Niagara Center for their first true home game of the season. 

It disappointed in every way possible. Sitting in section 108, where my family has held season tickets for almost 10 years now, the entire experience of last night's game was possibly the most forgettable I've ever had as a fan. 

It wasn't just the players whose energy was lacking either.

This Buffalo Sabres need to avoid a rough start to their season.

They came out strong and won their opener in Helsinki against the Ducks 4-1. That's something they didn't do last year. 

The biggest reason why the Sabres won is Thomas Vanek, who scored two goals and added an assist. Both of those goals were on the power play.

Last season, it wasn't until March 6th that the Buffalo Sabres jumped into the Eastern Conference's playoff picture for good. For the first 150 days of the 2010-2011 NHL season before March 6th, the Sabres were outside of the top eight for all but three of them—the first three days of the year.

A lot has changed for the NHL since the infamous lockout wiped out the 2004-2005 NHL season. After all the dust settled, it seemed like an entirely new NHL was born.

The Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres will play Game Five in Philadelphia tonight.

The series has almost been more entertaining off the ice than on the ice so far. That could change tonight though.

Tempers have been flaring following Game Four and the controversial major penalty to Flyers' captain Mike Richards for elbowing.

Here are the reasons that tonight's game could get very interesting.

The Philadelphia Flyers are looking to make another appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, vying for the Cup.

They dominated the East this past season, being just edged out by the Washington Capitals for the top spot in the East.

Now they'll have to get past the Buffalo Sabres to advance and bring themselves closer to the Cup.

There are quite a few obstacles in their way though: some internal and some external.

Here are the players that the will be the biggest threats to the Flyers' repeating in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The physicality of this series between the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers has been the definition of playoff hockey.