Here is a phrase no one would have believed six months ago: the Buffalo Sabres are Atlantic Division champions. All that is left to do is wait and see who they draw in the opening round of the NHL playoffs, the first time in 15 seasons that statement could be said.
After doing nothing but speculating on prospects for so long, all of the “potential” has finally become realized. Winning the division title is more than what it seems on the surface, what it would mean to other franchises. For Buffalo fans, it means the world.
Always a Hockey Town
The Buffalo Bills have had the hearts and minds of the city in the last few years as they chase that elusive Super Bowl title. Yet even with Josh Allen becoming something just shy of a deity, Buffalo has always been a hockey town first and foremost.
Even with their massive failures, the city pined for a successful Sabres season. All we have heard for the last decade is how incredible it will be when the Sabres finally get over the hump and bring playoff hockey back to the city. We heard it so much because it is 100% true.
The atmosphere in Game 1 of the quarterfinals will be otherworldly. Earthquakes don’t happen in upstate New York, but one may happen when the Sabres take the ice this weekend. All the raucous energy that Bills Mafia has been known for will be amplified 100-fold when that moment arrives.
The 2005-06 Comparisons
All season long, we have heard comparisons to the 2005-06 group. Coming out of the lost 2004-05 season, the Sabres had been dead last in the Northeast Division three seasons running. Anyone predicting that they would finish the season with 110 points would have been a liar or on the kind of drugs that earn you jail time.
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So, it only feels fitting that 20 years later, the Sabres are on a similarly magical run. Much like that group, this Sabres team is one built on strong depth and fantastic goaltending. This time around, however, defensive depth is unlikely to become the problem that undoes them.
This year, the playoffs feel truly open for the first time in a long time. Virtually anyone in the conference can conceivably make a run. And given the bracket, wouldn’t it be incredible if the Sabres advanced to the Eastern Conference Final to exercise the 20-year-old demon known as the Carolina Hurricanes?
Relief for 15 Years of Bitter Disappointment
This season has meant so much to the city. It has brought the roster closer together, especially in the face of tremendous adversity. There will be a great challenge no matter who the Sabres draw in the first round, but simply getting here has been therapeutic for the city.
Watching Tage Thompson rip one-timers has been therapeutic. Seeing Rasmus Dahlin effortlessly dance through traffic to create a highlight reel goal has been therapeutic. Cheering on Zach Benson and Josh Doan as they relentlessly terrorize opposing defenders has been therapeutic.
No one can erase the embarrassment of being a Sabres fan these last 15 years. The abysmal stretch that led to the ugly tanking seasons. The Jack Eichel saga. The comments from management that missed the mark. Former Sabre after former Sabre leaving to find true success for the first time. All of it has left an imprint on Sabres fans. But this team has faded those scars, made them livable.
No matter how these playoffs go, this group has done something special for Buffalo. The city loves this franchise, and it loves this team. There are a lot of demons in the history of Buffalo sports, but it is seasons like these – and 2005-06 – that get talked about for decades to come.
A Magical Run in Store?
This isn’t a team that inched its way into the playoffs, simply happy to make it. They kicked down the doors, went toe-to-toe with one of the Stanley Cup favorites, and took the division in the process. This is a team to be reckoned with.
The first round will tell us all we need to know in an open Eastern Conference playoff race. It will be a dog fight every step of the way, but these Sabres have shown that they don’t quit and they most definitely won’t back down. It’s a team that fits the city it represents in every way.
