Ales Kotalik and the Sabres provided an answer to anyone questioning whether they are the elite team in the NHL. It's a response that came through loud and clear in a 5-2 victory over the Rangers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night. "I think we showed everybody we were ready," Kotalik said. "A lot of things were said before the game, and we made sure we showed to respond not in the paper but on the ice." Kotalik was referring to Rangers coach Tom Renney's comments suggesting the top-seeded Sabres weren't the league's "cream of the crop." "Yeah, obviously, everybody heard it," Kotalik said. "We talked about it. It's a good thing."