Author: Buffalo Winter

Buffalo hosts the “broad street bullies”

Here along the Lake The final game of the NHL 2024-25 regular season for the Buffalo Sabres is at home and the players will be sporting their brawny Black & Red sweaters tonight versus Philadelphia.

The Flyers have dominated the first two games of the three game regular season series between these two teams, both play their final game tonight and recently both teams have earned similar 5-4-1 records, with one glaring positive statistic going into this game is that the Sabres are now 10th and Philadelphia is 24th overall in scoring.

Although the Sabres must endure one more season without a playoff seeding, this streak of misfortune ends come September NHL 2025-26 preseason, with the hopes of strengthening the team’s netminding for next season the Sabres do have a solid opportunity to barge boldly into next year’s playoffs.

Fantasy Hockey Update

Congratulations to Puck Yoself Bud who is soon to be this season’s ESPN FHL Chicago Pro H2H points league Champion, with a 59-point lead heading into tonight’s final Finals game versus Team MVP, it appears to be a given.

While still fresh in your mind now is a good opportunity to begin your FHL draft list for next season, initially you can just write down the two best players from each NHL team, then do the same for each team in your fantasy league, this provides a powerful starting point for a team manager in the upcoming season.

The NHL Playoffs Are Here!

Now that teams know who they are seeded against, fans can begin to fill out their brackets, and quickly since Saturday starts the exciting run to the 2024-25 Stanley Cup Finals.

This is just how I see the opening round possibly playing out and my official Buffalo Winter bracket submission for this season, my apologies to fans of the teams I have eliminated early in my prognostication, lol.

Last week’s answer: Tracy Pratt

During the 1980-81 NHL regular season the Winnipeg Jets finished dead last in the 21-team league losing 57 times in 80 games.

Which former Buffalo Sabres wore number 99 for the Jets that season?

A) Dave Babych

B) Rick Dudley

C) Rick Martin

D) Rene Robert

Winnipeg Jets are the 2024-25 Presidents’ Trophy winner

Oilers 4 – Jets 1 They lost the battle but won the war, the Winnipeg Jets were beaten for the first time this season by fellow Western Conference playoff bound Oilers at The Peg, but the Jets mathematically earned the “Presidents’ Trophy” for the NHL 2024-25 regular season.

With 114 points and one game remaining the Jets are also the number one Canadian team in the NHL for the 2024-25 regular season earning them the resurrected “O’Brien Cup” presented unofficially from Buffalo Winter.

Lightning 7 – Sabres 4 Buffalo scored twice in 15 seconds during the last 23 seconds of the first period to take the 2-1 lead, Captain Dahlin earned two (50, 51) assists for the game, and defenseman Clifton scored his first goal of the 2024-25 NHL regular season.

Buffalo plays their last two games of the 2024-25 NHL regular season this coming Tuesday (Toronto Maple Leafs 7pm) and Thursday (Philadelphia Flyers 7pm) nights at home and the Sabres will sport their Brawny Black & Red sweaters during the last game of the season.

Game Two Quarter Finals

Sabres 3 – Islanders 2 (OT) Buffalo was under siege as New York was penalized for Elbowing, Charging, Roughing, Fighting, and high sticking as well as the usual holding, hooking and tripping for 10 penalties.

Buffalo earned eight penalties for their fair share of some high sticking, holding, hooking, and tripping, with the one fight featuring Sabres Captain Jim Schoenfeld and Islanders Bob Nystrom.

Sabres RW Danny Gare scored the overtime winner with his 3rd goal of the playoffs and earned 2 assists, Center Don Luce also scored his 3rd goal with 1 assist, with the game’s first goal coming from LW Brian “Spinner” Spencer.

Buffalo’s solid effort earned them the 2-0 Quarter Finals lead early in the week heading into the Easter weekend, I was a freshman in high school elated by the victory and upcoming break from school.

Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Pittsburgh & Detroit

Red Wings 4 – Lightning 3 (OT) Detroit played to earn a playoff seeding and playoff bound Tampa Bay disappointed their fans at home as the Red Wings win and split the four game season series with the Lightning.

Penguins 4 – Devils 2 (en) New Jersey scored first only 15 seconds into the game and took the dreaded 2-0 lead and then lost it as the already eliminated Penguins scored four straight goals for the win versus the playoff bound Devils.

Senators 5 – Canadiens 2 In their fourth attempt this season the Senators were able to beat the Canadiens and Ottawa remains the top wild card in the Eastern Conference.

Oilers 4 – Sharks 2 (en) Edmonton had no problems holding off San Jose after the Sharks tied the game scoring the only goal in the second period and beat them for the third time as Center McDavid notched four assists.

Flames 4 – Wild 2 Calgary gains ice on Minnesota in their Western Conference wild card race as they beat them for the third time this season sweeping their regular season series.