Ovechkin and Crosby put on a Show; Buffalo still supports the Sabres

by David Oleksy on May 15, 2009 1:00 PM EDT Comment 4 comments

It's time to share my thoughts on numeros topics regarding the NHL and the Buffalo Sabres. I'm going to make this a regular feature athough it will probably be posted on a day other than Friday.

The playoffs have been entertaining so far this year. The most entertaining series was the show that Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Most people already considered them the best two players in the league but now they leave no doubt. It's a shame that we won't be able to see Ovechkin lay anymore until next season.
If everyone is so down on the Sabres why are people still buying tickets? The Buffalo market is a strange one. We are highly critical of our teams but in the end we are very loyal as well.
While I was watching all the game sevens on Wednesday and Thursday; I started thinking about the Sabres past game seven appearances. Of course I remember the heartbreak of the loss to Carolina in 2006 and the Darius Kasparitis overtime goal in 2001. I remember the euphoria when Derek Plante scored in overtime to beat the Ottawa Senators in 1997. I was trying to figure out when the Sabres won another game seven and couldn't think of another time. I couldn't think of another game seven win because it never happened. The Sabres are 1-5 all-time in game seven.
What does Jim Balsille hope to gain by taking on the NHL? Even if we wins and there is a team in Hamilton he will be an outcast with the other owners in the league.
If there is a team in Hamilton, do they immediately become the Sabres chief rival?
We have heard a lot about the Sabres missing the playoffs but how come we haven't heard about Chris Drury and Danny Briere bothe being eliminated in the first round?

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Comments

Yup and ?

Yes, I agree – great Stanley Cup playoffs, so far, and Sabres fans are loyal.

The Caps-Pens series was a classic, the most enjoyable one I’ve watched in years (other than seeing the Sabres). I have new respect for Ovie and Sid The Kid – they are something else! However, last I looked it was still a team sport. To gloat because Briere and Drury’s TEAMS lost in the first round is childish. What about Brian Campbell and the Blackhawks? To me, I’m glad to see anyone who was a Sabre and was well-liked here, succeed, even if it is with another team. I’ll always remember their fine play here in Buffalo and the community contributions they made.

The Cup should continue to be extremely entertaining with the talented Pens against the “Cardiac Canes.” By the way, didn’t both of those teams have their seasons turned around late in the year after changing coaches?

I’ll be rooting for the Blackhawks because of Patrick Kane, a local product, and the fact they haven’t won a Cup in years. The Wings have had more than their run of success but you have to really admire their organization. They know how to win.

Let’s hope the remaining games are great and the NHL gets positive feedback and new fans!

Speaking of fans, I’m with you on why tickets are still being sold here. It’s a mystery, but I’m glad to hear it. Also – it’s been fun watching the NHL fans in Washington, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, etc. People are pumped…….sad we can’t be part of that. Maybe next year.

by ccthemovieman on May 15, 2009 1:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think the reason why we are seeing the renewal rate so high is because some of these tickets aren’t from the fans but they are business tickets for clients. They would be the most apt to renew the tickets and just entertain with them.

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by Zachary Zielonka on May 15, 2009 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point about the coaching change.
They also brought in key additions at the trade deadline. Has there been a bigger impact on the Canes offense than Erik Cole? He was the catalyst that ignited Eric Staal down the stretch and into the playoffs. When Staal scores in these playoffs the Canes are 7-0. 7-0! And before Cole came along Staal was having a quiet year (by his standards). Then there’s the Penguins. Beat up all year and bashed for giving up the gritty players that helped keep their super stars clean and get the dirty support scoring they needed. Enter Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin. 2 tough, gritty, playoff-savvy forwards who have propelled the Penguins through these playoffs. Sure Sid and Malkin are the stars, but they are soft.
At the deadline the Sabres were neck-in-neck with these two teams. They made deals to better their teams for the stretch, the Sabres traded some dead weight and added a meaningless penalty killer to the staff. When we already had a top 5 PK!
You do the math

"Potential just means you haven’t done sh## yet"

by willgarr15 on May 16, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs