My Love Affair with the Sabres

Hey Guys,

Sorry it’s been awhile since my last post, December has been almost as crazy for me as it has been for my team.  Minus the being stuck on dry land part, which I’m still adapting to.  Anyways, the last week and a half has been a whirlwind, from being shut down by Marty and the Devils (Congrats to him by the way!!) to  Miller getting his own shut out, Lalime getting his first win of the season, Kaleta’s two short handed goals… and last night’s nail biter of a third period against Montreal, complete with an insane last 19 seconds and a messed up time clock.  This whole time has been a reminder as to why I love this team.

Although, like every team, they’re far from perfect, and I have my gripes with certain games, and decisions, I can’t help but hopeful because of this group of guys, and the way this season has gone.  As I’ve said in earlier posts, I’ve been a fan since almost birth, and like most WNYers I’ve learned to not hope for too much because of “The Curse” all B-lo teams face.  I can list  (like everyone else from back home) all of the close calls, bad calls, and near misses.  I have friends who claim being a Bills fan is like being in a bad relationship, partly because of this.  The Sabres have also faced this curse, and after missing the playoffs the last two years by just a few points, it seemed like it was taking it’s toll again.

Before the season started, most write ups about the NHL didn’t have the Sabres making nearly as big of a splash as they have.  Of course who would believe that powerhouses like the Senators and Red Wings would be where they’re at in the standings either.  And yet here we are.  We’ve got a goalie who is number one in the league and a 6ft 8in rookie that I’m pretty sure the broadcasters on Versus were “man-crushing” on last night.  But even if you take them away, we’ve got a team that’s changing things up and really working together.  During the 5 on 3 power play last night, Ruff put five forwards on the ice, and it worked.  I realize that it’s not the first time in the history of hockey that something like that has been done, but what made it different was that this team did it.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve read or heard about how they dropped too many one goal games last year, how they’ve lost the leadership they needed when Briere and Drury left, or how they need to learn to work together as a team.  It looks like the Sabres have been reading and listening to the same things, and took those messages to heart.  And that brings me back to my point, the reason I love this team.  This is a team that is constantly working, and constantly proving themselves. They’re a team I can believe in, and, to get a little melodramatic, one that just might break the curse.  Watching them on the ice when they’re working together and playing with passion is something I just can’t get enough of.

Tomorrow night, we face the Senators, and I’m looking forward to it for many reasons.  Not just because of the possibility of another great game, or to watch Miller prove yet again why he’s the best goalie, but because I’m watching my team become a team, working together and giving all of us hope that Lord Stanley’s Cup might actually come to Buffalo.

As always, feel free to leave comments or catch me on Twitter @abecker15