It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And no, it’s not Christmas yet.
When the playoffs roll around in the National Hockey League, they create enduring memories that will last forever. From game-winning goals, enormous hits and spectacular saves, all of these moments can last a lifetime.
Teams that have been around longer than the Buffalo Sabres can make a claim that they have more occasions to cherish simply because they have been around longer. I beg to differ.
So many legendary moments have been produced in the Sabres’ history. I could on and on: the legendary “fog game” in 1975, “May Day”, Dave Hannan scoring in quadruple overtime, Derek Plante eliminating Ottawa in seven games, a magical run to the ’99 Stanley Cup Finals… you get the idea.
Wait. There’s more.
Routing Philadelphia 8-0 in 2001, R.J. Umberger getting destroyed by Brian Campbell, overtime goals by Jason Pominville and Max Afinogenov, and one of the most clutch goals in NHL history: Chris Drury tying up Game 5 against the New York Rangers in 2007.
Other team supporters can have more memories than Sabres fans. But I don’t believe they treasure those recollections more than Sabres fans do.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are here. Time to create new memories.