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Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The Buffalo Sabres know that they have the entire country of Latvia behind them, but their recent string of success may start to bring the rest of Western New York back into the fold. When the Sabres fell to 3-13-2 following a loss to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 13, those fans still left watching the club likely went to bed with continued fantasies of junior superstar Connor McDavid speeding around First Niagara Center sporting the navy blue and gold. After all, the Sabres seemed destined at having the best chance at securing the top selection in the upcoming draft, earning the right to select either McDavid or fellow center Jack Eichel. Both players are believed to have the ability to cornerstone a franchise, something Buffalo seemed to desperately need at the time. Maybe the Sabres still do, but head coach Ted Nolan and his players werent really on board with the whole tanking thing and have instead decided to, you know, go out and win games. Buffalo has won eight of 11 since that loss to the Wild. Now tied for 26th out of the 30 teams in the overall NHL standings, the Sabres are talking -- and more importantly playing -- like a team that believes it can win each night. I think this team has taken a 180 from where we were at the start of the year, said forward Matt Moulson. I think now we believe in each other and were competing a lot harder. We know what we have to do to have success and get wins. Thursdays home encounter with the Calgary Flames, a gutsy 4-3 win, was a perfect example of Sabres hockey as of late. Twice in the game, the Sabres failed to hold a lead and they then fell behind by a goal just 3:14 into the third frame. The Buffalo Sabres that took the ice in October and the early part of November likely would have folded and gone home, but not this newly-inspired bunch. Instead, future All-Star Zemgus Girgensons (more on that later) put home a game-tying goal and Moulson came through with a game-winner with 7:29 to play. That gave the Sabres a victory despite the squad getting outshot 45-19. It wasnt one of our better games, but it showed that the belief factor is starting to creep in. We werent in the game, but we still believed we could come back, said Nolan. There is no doubt that Nolans club plays with fire each night. Even during its string of success, the Sabres have scored more than two goals only twice in their last nine and remain dead-last in the NHL with 1.66 goals per game. But confidence in the defense and goaltending, especially Jhonas Enroth, has been key. The Sabres have allowed two goals or fewer five times over the aforementioned nine-game span and have avoided beating themselves with bad mistakes. Youre not going to have an A-game every night, but if youre doing those little things right, theyre going to pay off, noted Moulson. It has certainly helped Enroth, who is 7-2-0 over his last nine games with a 1.93 goals against average and .944 save percentage. Nolan pointed out after Thursdays win how the line of Moulson, Girgensons and Tyler Ennis, one that was put together back in mid-November, has helped to spark the club. Girgensons, meanwhile, is starting to become a little famous around the NHL, much like he already is back in his home country of Latvia. The 20-year-olds goal versus the Flames was his career-high ninth of the season, surpassing the eight he scored in 70 games as a rookie last season. Now, nine goals through 29 games and 16 points that dont even lead the team certainly dont scream All-Star, but the much-argued tradition of fan voting has led to an unforeseen turn of events. When Tuesdays update of the All-Star voting was released, Girgensons continued to pace the pack with 803,805 votes. To put that into perspective, the second-leading getter in votes is Chicagos Patrick Kane -- with 375,758. That, of course, is possible due to online voting, giving the entire world a say in who will skate in this seasons All-Star Game. According to the Sabres, 82 percent of Girgensons votes came from Latvians. Its crazy. People back home are just crazy hockey fans, Girgensons, the 14th overall pick of the 2012 draft and native of Riga, Latvia, told NHL Live on Wednesday. Its always been like that. Its fun, its cool, mixed emotions. Its funny at the same time. What isnt funny is teams still expecting to pick up easy wins against the Sabres. James Rodriguez Bayern Munich Jersey . Argentina, who have yet to beat New Zealand in 17 meetings, rocked the All Blacks with an early converted try to backrower Juan Manuel Leguizamon and led 7-0 after five minutes. But Smiths double in the 23rd and 26th minutes - when Argentina was reduced to 14 men by the sin-binning of hooker Eusebio Guinazu - turned the tide of the match and set up New Zealands third straight Championship win. Corentin Tolisso Bayern Munich Jersey . That assertion is getting harder and harder to make, especially given the way 23-year-old Danilo Gallinari has been playing this season. http://www.fcbayernsoccerproshop.com/c-3...ich-jersey.aspx. It was a day that saw England slump off a World Cup field once again battered and bruised. This time there was no red card to wonder about, no goalkeeping error or individual mistake. They were thoroughly beaten by something they have nothing of – genuine world class ability. Kingsley Coman Jersey . They signed their first kicker. Ottawa inked Nick Setta, a 32-year-old native of Lockport, Illinois, to a contract. Bayern Munich Jerseys . Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse will reunite at this weekends season-opening World Cup at Canada Olympic Park as they begin their buildup to the Winter Games in Sochi. VAL THORENS, France -- Canadas Marielle Thompson can rest easy knowing that she has locked up a spot for Sochi. Teammates Kelsey Serwa, Dave Duncan and Brady Leman are virtual locks to join her. As for the rest of the Canadians on the deep national skicross team, they have a long, anxious weekend of waiting ahead of them. The Olympic qualification window for skicross closes Sunday, so Fridays race served as the last chance for Canadians to qualify for nomination. The 26-athlete freestyle team roster for the Winter Games will be announced Monday. Skicross is one of five disciplines that fall under the freestyle umbrella so inclusion could be tough. There are several World Cup events scheduled for this weekend so it remains unclear who will make the cut. "Im sure a lot of (the athletes) will have empty stomachs depending on where they sit on that bubble," Canada Ski Cross director Dave Ellis said on a conference call. "Depending whos in the rankings behind them and how they perform, thats going to make a difference for sure." Thompson, from Whistler, B.C., won gold Friday at the FIS Audi Val Thorens World Cup to extend her lead atop the womens overall standings. "I didnt really feel anyone too close to me today," she said. Duncan, from London, Ont., moved back on top of the mens standings with a bronze medal. Leman, from Calgary, took fourth place and Montreal resident Chris Del Bosco was fifth. "The competition from within the team is what drives the succcess, so its fun," said head coach Eric Archer.dddddddddddd Del Bosco won gold in the first of back-to-back races a day earlier. The race was cut short due to high winds so the veteran skier was given top spot due to his strong performance in the qualifications and first heat. Del Bosco, who finished fourth at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, has struggled this season. He had not cracked the top 10 until this week and it remains to be seen whether he has done enough to get a spot on the Sochi nomination list. "I did pretty much everything I could this weekend to give myself a shot," Del Bosco said. "At the end of the day thats all I can really do." Danielle Sundquist of Calgary and Georgia Simmerling of West Vancouver, B.C., are also on the bubble. Sundquist finished fifth on Friday and Simmerling was seventh. Serwa skipped Fridays race. The qualification process is very complicated. Athletes from slopestyle, aerials, moguls and halfpipe will also be included on the freestyle team and Canada is strong in all of those events. Of the 26 spots available in the five disciplines, there can be no more than 14 selections from either gender. The selection committee will look at results from previous years but performances this season have the biggest impact. The depth of the national skicross team and the Canadian freestyle team as a whole leaves athletes who are on the bubble in a tough spot. Some very talented competitors simply arent going to make the cut. Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Stitched NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap NFL Womens Jerseys China NFL Hoodies Wholesale NFL Hoodies ' ' '