Through an eighth of the season, the Buffalo Sabres find themselves in an unfamiliar position – first place. Now while it’s only first in the Northeast Division and third in the conference, the Sabres haven’t enjoyed even limited success like this in a long time. The thing that is setting the Sabres apart is that they are playing like a team. They have six players with seven or more points. Each everyday player has at least three, and among those, only four have a plus-minus in the negatives. Interestingly, their top point-getter, Tim Connolly, is one of them at minus one.

One of the greatest weapons on their roster might be Clarke MacArthur, who is currently in just his second full season with the Sabres. In 2008-09, he played in 71 games, scoring 17 goals and 31 points. So far in 12 games this year, he’s already at 5 goals and 7 points. On a 71 game pace, that translates to 30 goals and 41 points. That’s a welcome position on any team, but even moreso on a team whose recent seasons have not amounted to any form of continued success. The 24-year-old MacArthur is certainly turning into a weapon that the Sabres would be wise to hold on to.

The Sabres have just three losses this season, and only one of them was a blowout. They lost 5-0 to the New York Islanders on a truly creepy Halloween night. Their other two losses were a 2-1 overtime loss to the Canadiens and a 4-2 defeat against Thrashers. With 19 points, they lead their division and are playing like they intend to keep it that way for a long time to come. One of the biggest numbers the Sabres have put up so far might be the most important one to keep small – goals against. Goalie Ryan Miller is tearing it up with a 1.69 goals against average and a .941 save percentage. You’re not going to lose too many games with numbers like those.

Perhaps the final reason why the Sabres find themselves atop the Northeast Division is the fact that every other teams is playing like they deserve to be at the bottom. The woes of the Toronto Maple Leafs are unlike any in franchise history; the Montreal Canadiens and their half-turned-over lineup haven’t yet meshed; the Ottawa Senators are still reeling from the summer attacks from Dany Heatley; and the Boston Bruins can’t find a healthy player to dress for a full game. The upcoming test for the Sabres in their quest to stay on top will be to continue playing well if and when these other teams starting playing real hockey.