Category: Hockey History 1917-2023

The Sabres seventh game in April

Buffalo – Last Game

This is it folks, we knew it was coming, the last game of the NHL 2023/24 season for the Buffalo Sabres and it is hosted by Tampa Bay tonight at seven o’clock.

As April comes to a close the Sabres have achieved a split so far with three wins and three losses with tonight’s tiebreaker game versus the Lightning, a playoff team that stayed six games ahead of Buffalo this season.

Buffalo and Tampa Bay finish their four-game season series tonight with the Sabres winning two of the prior three matches in overtime to hold a 2-1 series lead.

Rick Martin Memorial Award (“The Rico”)

This season marks the fourth year the Sabres have awarded this memorial honoring one of Buffalo’s most cherished players, a man who befriended all who were blessed to have met him.

This season Mr. Tuch was awarded the memorial for the second consecutive year, a deserving player who as an outstanding NHL player and family man, can still find the time in his life to sincerely serve “the community” here along the Lake.

10 Days, 10 Goals, 2 Victories

Buffalo 4 – Washington 2  Curious scheduling had Buffalo hosting Washington twice in a 10 day period in early April after dropping an overtime decision in our Nation’s Capital right before Thanksgiving.

In a physical and at times chaotic low shooting game Buffalo outplayed Washington in net, amidst good defense, and on the score sheet, as well as having to defend themselves against goonish play.

Surprisingly the Capitals goon wilson scored and was followed and imitated by fellow teammate and goon, TJ Oshie, both played a physically belligerent style resembling the Hanson Brothers.

Video replay confirmed TJ Goon literally “soccer kicked” Mr. Bryson up high on his leg while in the corner where the officials could not “see” the transgression committed, initially the announcers thought Mr. Bryson somehow had been injured during the play.

Tempers flared with seven seconds remaining resulting in an on ice donnybrook with Mr. Greenway grabbing hold of goon wilson before he could cause injury, Pacioretty and the great eight double teamed Mr. Thompson in a display of Washington frustration.

The Sabres play their final two road games to end the regular season in Florida versus the Panthers and Lightning.

Three Captains for the 1980s

The 1970s were the initial decade for the newly awarded franchise Buffalo Sabres a team that utilized five Captains, the following decade the Sabres had three with the first Captain the eternal face of the Buffalo Sabres, Gilbert Perrault until he retired in the 1985-86 NHL season.

The following four seasons were between Mr. Ruff and Mike Foligno (sons Nick & Marcus) who after injury it was Mr. Andreychuk for three months and after recovery Mr. Foligno remained Captain until his trade a week before Christmas 1990.

At times players are put into a “Peter Principal” situation when even a very good hockey player is not the best choice for team Captain, but when a self-absorbed GM/HC/DOHO trades away your Captains, current and former, what is a fan to do?

Buffalo hosts Washington for the second time in 10 days tonight at seven o’clock, the Capitals have one of the worst goal differentials of any team vying for a wild card spot which bodes well for the offensively minded Sabres.

Subsequent Captains since the Seventies

Who has worn the honored “C”

In the 1970/71 NHL Season our initial standard bearer of the leadership letter was eventual Head Coach, Floyd Smith, four more Sabres led Buffalo in the 1970s.

-Gerry Meehan

-Jim Schoenfeld (Sept 1974 became youngest NHL Captain at 22)

-Don Luce

-Danny Gare

A Captain should be someone you would follow over the boards against any team because of your confidence in their leadership.

Buffalo once endured a particularly distressing head coach who felt it was necessary to make the team have a new Captain each month of the regular season (Oct – Mar) until he felt someone stepped up to undertake the responsibility.

Recently our Captain was traded to a playoff Cup contender leaving the Alternate Captains to lead the way down the stretch this season.

Sabres General Manager Adams has explained although there are a number of players able to accept the position now, as a team we are going to wait to the end of the regular season before making a selection.

First half of first period an aberration

Buffalo 1 – Detroit 3  Two unfortunate breakaways early with one benefiting from a slow line change contributed to the first period’s imbalanced scoring.

From the second half of the first period until the end of the game, Buffalo barraged Detroit’s goaltender with a plethora of shots but to no avail as the Red Wings’ goalie played arguably one of his best games to date.

The Sabres outstanding 18 years old Left Wing Zach Benson continues to impress, last night on the power play he took possession of the puck from two Detroit defenders and their goaltender right on the front step.

Mister Benson proceeded to turn the Red Wings inside out and discombobulate them so thoroughly that he was able to calmly and precisely pass out from behind the goal line to an unmolested Mr. Thompson for the power play tally.

Buffalo visits Texas tomorrow for an eight o’clock start with the Stars.