buffalo sabres history
buffalo sabres history
Buffalo Sabres tickets have been tough on New York hockey fans for the past three years but that could change in 2005-2006. The Sabres lost defenseman Alexei Zhitnik but added Teppo Nunminen and Toni Lydman to bolster the roster. The return of Tim Connolly should add some offense to go along with Chris Drury, Chris Taylor, and Derek Roy in the center. NHL Playoff games at the HSBC Arena in 2005-2006? Not at all out of the question, if you remember how close the Sabres were to the NHL Playoffs in 2004.
The Buffalo Sabres were a part of the NHL expansion in 1970-1971 that increased the league to 14 teams. After being awarded the city’s first NHL franchise, the team owners went out of their way to pick a unique name that avoided obvious connections with the word Buffalo. The name Sabres was chosen after a citywide promotional contest. The team’s logo amplifies its connection to the city of Buffalo with the depiction of a running Buffalo set in white against a red and black background.
The Sabres managed to do pretty well from the outset. Not in terms of wins -- they went 24-39-15 in their first year -- but by choosing wisely in the draft. In the first three years of drafting, the Sabres acquired Gilbert Perreault (70-71), Rick Martin (71-72), and Jim Schonfield (72-73). This trio gave the Sabres their first playoff berth in team history with a respectable 37-27-14 season in 1972-73. Youth and inexperience caught up with the Sabres in the postseason though, as the Montreal Canadiens ran out to a 3-0 lead in the first round. After catching their breath and giving the Canadiens a run for their money with back-to-back wins, the Sabres were eliminated in Game 6.
In 1975, the Sabres found themselves actually competing for a Stanley Cup. With three players -- Rene Roberts, Rick Martin, and Gilbert Perreault -- finishing in the top 10 in scoring, the Sabres locked up first place in the Adams Division and roared into the NHL playoffs. First victim: The Chicago Blackhawks in five games. In the semi’s, Buffalo locked horns with the Montreal Canadiens. Each team won a pair of games before the Sabres closed things out with a crucial overtime win in Game 5 and a 4-3 win in Montreal. In the Stanley Cup Finals though, the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers were too much for Buffalo and the Sabres fell in six games. The Sabres returned to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999, once again falling just short of a title as they lost a six-game series to the Dallas Stars on a controversial goal.
Buffalo Sabres tickets may not have been the sexiest NHL ticket in the league in 2004, but they did provide hockey fans in Buffalo with at least an outside shot at watching an NHL Playoff game at the HSBC Arena. The Eastern Conference playoff picture could change drastically this year, if the Sabres can capitalize on the young talent currently on the roster. After narrowly missing the playoffs last year, things are expected to get much better for Buffalo Sabres ticket holders in 2005-2006.
