It’s the time of year when everyone paying attention to the NHL playoff race gets heavily involved in watching the standings. That goes for fans. If you’re a diehard, certainly you check those listings every day, don’t you? Calculating magic numbers, seeing which team has supplanted whom and projecting what the playoff pairings might look like.

Players and coaches might be sheepish to admit it, but they are watching as well. This mad dash to the finish, where so much is at stake, makes for a dramatic prelude to one of the most exciting tournaments in all of sports, the Stanley Cup playoffs, which many call the NHL’s second season.

Walk into the Sabres main dressing room, and you’ll find a large felt-tip-marked leaderboard, updated daily. While many teams have changed positions throughout the season on that board, there has been one constant—since their opening night 3-2 victory at Carolina, Buffalo has occupied the top spot. Now the team is within sight of capturing its first Northeast Division title since 1997, top seed in the Eastern Conference and perhaps its first ever President’s Trophy, awarded to the league’s top point finisher.

The Sabres’ Thomas Vanek shrugged off any idea of detailed analyses of the league’s standings. “We’re in the mindset to go out there and win every single game. If we do that then everything else will take care of itself,” said Vanek. Drew Stafford pretty much echoed that sentiment. “We can’t get bogged down concerning ourselves on who is playing who and how the standings are affected,” said Stafford. “I know it’s a lot of fun for you guys and the fans to watch and try to figure out, and that’s fine.”

Going into last weekend, Toronto was desperately jockeying for points. “Yeah they’re in 11th place, that’s tough for them, isn’t it?” Stafford grinned.

Not paying attention to the standings, Drew?

Head coach Lindy Ruff is more pragmatic about the ever-changing standings. Every point is precious, he says. “We’re fighting for something too,” said Ruff. “First place in the conference and that home game in the playoff rounds, which as we all know can be very important.” Asked about the intense battle now underway for the conference’s lower seeds, Ruff replied, “I’m just glad I’m not involved in that race right now.”

Ruff recalled his days as an assistant coach with Florida, when his Panthers twice failed to make the playoffs, losing out by just one point. “You think about that one bad night, that one unlucky bounce, and how that can make or break your entire season.”

Going into the last 10 days of the season, Sabres fans can break down the remaining games into three categories.

The first and most important category is the “Eastern Conference Leader” category. Buffalo is mathematically assured of the first, second, fourth or fifth spot in the seedings. To secure the top spot, the goal is to root against New Jersey, Pittsburgh and white-hot Ottawa, which is still within sight of stealing the division crown.

The second we’ll call the “Die, Leaves, Die” category. Won’t we all take a perverse pleasure listening to the howls of anguish from across the border, should Toronto fail once again to make the playoffs? Six teams are locked in a desperate struggle for the last three spots, and the results of this fight will most likely determine our first round opponent.

The final category is the “President’s Trophy.” Sure, that and a buck will buy you a cup of coffee in the long run, but if the Sabres actually emerged as the top point-getter in the regular season, it would put an exclamation point on what has been an incredible campaign. No matter what the outcome of the playoffs, those banners will hang in the arena and fans can always reminisce onwhat a truly special team and era this was.

To secure the President’s Trophy, cheer against Detroit, Nashville and Anaheim, all carrying point totals close to Buffalo’s.

Should Buffalo’s division, conference or President’s Trophy hopes come down to the wire, they hold one ace in the hole: They play the final day, April 8, at Philadelphia, when almost all their competitors will see their seasons already completed. Imagine crucial seeding, division banners, destiny with franchise history, all at stake that afternoon, and nothing but the Flyers and some goaltender named Martin Biron standing in the way!

TARO SEZ…

■ March 19, 2010, and Buffalo’s next NCAA basketball subregional, is just 1,085 or so days away. Yes, we’re counting.

■ Ohio State will win it all behind Buffalo-born Greg Oden. (Pay no attention, Taro sits last in the Artvoice office pool.)

■ Reminder, on April 5 downtown Buffalo is featuring the best sports doubleheader that doesn’t involve basketball, as the Bisons open their season at 3pm followed by a 7pm Sabres game vs. Boston.

■ The Bisons will hold an MLB opening night celebration this Sunday at 7pm at Pettibones Grille. For $5, fans can watch the first game of the MLB regular season (Mets vs. Cardinals), dine on free chicken wings and get a free ticket to the April 6 game. Bisons Manager Torey Lovullo and select Bisons players will be there and door prizes will be awarded. RSVP by calling (716) 846-2011.