Chuzwazza
Registered User
With a thrilling 4-3 double overtime win on home ice, the Buffalo Sabres eliminated the Boston Bruins in 6 games, shocking the NHL as much as any team has all-season.
First there was the Devils. An impressive 112 points on the season (some 22 more than Buffalo) seemed to count for little as the Sabres turned a 2-1 defecit into a 4-2 series win with hard work, intelligent play, great special teams and good goaltending being the keys to success. Oh, that and a kid named Frolov.
An upset or two always seems to happen in this sport when playoffs roll around. A numbers 7 seed knocking off a 2 seed? unusual but possible. That same team taking a #1 seed with the best reg. season record in HFNHL history? doubtful would have been a massive understatement.
And yet, this starless group continued to do exactly what it had done the series before...and the results followed. After going down in a hard fought game 1, where the Bruins class in the 2nd period undid the Sabres 2-0 1st period start. The focus and the gameplan remained, with the Sabres taking a lead into the "cancelled" game that could have tied the series. Losing a break like that against a goliath like opponent is the stuff that sends weak teams to a rapid demise, and causes fans and coaches alike to commit suicide while pondering over what might have been.
And yet, when the game was replayed, the Sabres played better than before, with a Roy like performance from the man who was once traded for the HOF. 5-1. There would be no collapse from this group. And in that lied the emergence of this team. From then on, the 1 in a million chance looked like a 1 in 5. and then a 50-50, and before we knew it, despite a valiant game 5 on home ice, the Bruins were out. David had defeated Goliath.
So now those few teams that remain are licking their lips. The beasts of the east are no longer around to mount that challenge. For Philadelphia, the path to the cup is clear. They can see it now. Only the Sabres, minnows in this final four stand between them and possible cup glory. It should be a certainty.....Or should it?
That's all for now...
Buffalo Bill
Hockey Editor for The Buffalo News
First there was the Devils. An impressive 112 points on the season (some 22 more than Buffalo) seemed to count for little as the Sabres turned a 2-1 defecit into a 4-2 series win with hard work, intelligent play, great special teams and good goaltending being the keys to success. Oh, that and a kid named Frolov.
An upset or two always seems to happen in this sport when playoffs roll around. A numbers 7 seed knocking off a 2 seed? unusual but possible. That same team taking a #1 seed with the best reg. season record in HFNHL history? doubtful would have been a massive understatement.
And yet, this starless group continued to do exactly what it had done the series before...and the results followed. After going down in a hard fought game 1, where the Bruins class in the 2nd period undid the Sabres 2-0 1st period start. The focus and the gameplan remained, with the Sabres taking a lead into the "cancelled" game that could have tied the series. Losing a break like that against a goliath like opponent is the stuff that sends weak teams to a rapid demise, and causes fans and coaches alike to commit suicide while pondering over what might have been.
And yet, when the game was replayed, the Sabres played better than before, with a Roy like performance from the man who was once traded for the HOF. 5-1. There would be no collapse from this group. And in that lied the emergence of this team. From then on, the 1 in a million chance looked like a 1 in 5. and then a 50-50, and before we knew it, despite a valiant game 5 on home ice, the Bruins were out. David had defeated Goliath.
So now those few teams that remain are licking their lips. The beasts of the east are no longer around to mount that challenge. For Philadelphia, the path to the cup is clear. They can see it now. Only the Sabres, minnows in this final four stand between them and possible cup glory. It should be a certainty.....Or should it?
That's all for now...
Buffalo Bill
Hockey Editor for The Buffalo News
