Eleven Posted August 20, 2009 Report Posted August 20, 2009 And now it's 1979-80. Maxim Afinogenov was born. That sh&thead Penguins fan, the Ayatollah Khomeini, took a bunch of hostages. Spndnchz's parents were starting high school. McDonald's introduced something called a "Happy Meal." And of course, in hockey...no, that's for later. The Sabres started the offseason well by drafting Mike Ramsey, whom no one can doubt was an awesome pick. The big news in Buffalo, though, was this: Robert out, Van Boxmeer in. Man, even as a kid, I mourned that. Hated every minute of it and I still do now, even though Van Boxmeer was a good D-man. And you know what? It seemingly worked. The Sabres crushed the Adams Division. 47 wins in 80 games. 110 points in 80 games. No one in the league had more goals than that sneaky little Danny Gare (56), and Perreault topped a hundred points (106, 40 of which were goals). Edwards and Sauve cemented the partnership that was begun the previous year, and shared a Vezina. The Sabs had the best record in the conference, won some hardware, and to this day, the banners hang at HSBC. As we all know, this wasn't enough. Trottier, Potvin, and Nystrom were just too much for the Sabres, and it was a semifinal exit not unlike those seen in recent years. So much potential, but just not enough at the end. For hockey fans, none of this mattered (with the certain exception of Khomeini's dickheadedness, which DID matter). Something else happened in hockey in 1980, and yeah, we all know what it was. So I'm not going to go into Dave Silk's assist or the atmosphere of USSR-hatred, or Jim Craig's flag, or any of that crap. I'll only describe the feeling I had that night. Famously, the game was not televised live. It was an afternoon game, and my elementary school neglected to set up whatever kind of teletype or semaphore system would have been necessary to get live score updates in 1980. But a bunch of those car-driving, radio-having grownups, including my father, knew what had happened before it ever was televised. So, my sis and I were clueless when the bus dropped us off a short walk from our house, and remained clueless for quite a while. Later than usual, our dad walked in, smelling a little differently than usual (this, I now suspect, was a combination of Friday happy hour beer and "victory shots" in honor of the team). It was announced that a Something was going on, and that we would be allowed to stay up late to watch it. This was vigorously protested by my mother, but if you read one of my earlier posts, well, she was hopeless to stop our observation of the as-yet unknown Something. We were not told, initially, what the Something was. The US could have invaded Mars, for all I knew. But what I was treated to, was one of the best nights with my father that I'll ever remember. Watched that game start-to-finish, without being told that it was on tape delay. I was a kid, but I knew enough to know that the USSR was worse than the Stormtroopers (the Star Wars kind, not the original kind), and that our guys had won. Even my mother (who apparently also was not told the result) watched this game with every shred of attention possible. After the first period, the concept of bedtime was not mentioned again. Armed with the hope that a first period 2-2 tie against a completely superior opponent brings, we watched every second like it was our duty to do so. Likely hopped up on too much ice cream, we jumped up and down as Michaels went through his now-iconic countdown at the end of the game. I remember the celebration better than I do the winning goal. I don't remember watching the final game, and I wouldn't believe anyone my age who told me that he or she did remember it. I was eight, I got to stay up late, and the good guys won that penultimate game against the pure-evil Soviets. That was enough. Looking back, I really think that game did a job for American (at least in the Northeast) and Canadian morale. Countless words have been written about that, though, and I won't pretend I can do a better job; I'll just note my agreement with the concept and wish I was eight again.
billsrcursed Posted August 20, 2009 Report Posted August 20, 2009 Don't wanna take up space by copying, Eleven, but that was a GREAT read! Thank you.
mphs mike Posted August 20, 2009 Report Posted August 20, 2009 One memory from the early to mid 70's we skipped was the Christmas time "open practice" which drew 16,433 to the Aud. It was special for those of us who had little access to Sabres tickets. Amazing that the scrimmage always involved a fight and seemed to end in a tie.
Mbossy Posted August 20, 2009 Report Posted August 20, 2009 79-80 Danny Gare. Always remember what a sweet wrist shot he had. Makes you wonder what he would do with one of those bendy sticks they make now. Also the year a man named Lindy Ruff was drafted. Round 2, pick #32.
Stoner Posted August 20, 2009 Report Posted August 20, 2009 I was at the last game of the regular season. The Sabres clobbered the Leafs to cap off a great regular season. But I remember that the Leafs scored a few late goals to prevent the Sabres from allowing fewer than 200 goals in a season, and I was mad. I consider this the birth of PASabreFan, the curmudgeon. I had gone from tears one year to bitterness the next. I was a man! I guess no one wants to mention Scotty.
Mbossy Posted August 21, 2009 Report Posted August 21, 2009 On to 1980-81. Sabres opened the season with a loss to the Chicago Black Hawks. Scotty Bowman becomes GM. Captain Video is born. Perreault hurts his ribs and is out for 22 games. Another piece of the French Connection is lost for picks, Rick Martin. (who in the early 2000's would come back to be the 'shooting' coach for the team.
Stoner Posted August 21, 2009 Report Posted August 21, 2009 On to 1980-81. Sabres opened the season with a loss to the Chicago Black Hawks. Scotty Bowman becomes GM. Captain Video is born. Perreault hurts his ribs and is out for 22 games. Another piece of the French Connection is lost for picks, Rick Martin. (who in the early 2000's would come back to be the 'shooting' coach for the team. Scotty had been the GM in 79-80. His contract stipulated he would also coach for one season. Budd Bailey's book -- and I still haven't figured out if you can still buy it -- has some interesting quotes from Bowman about a deal he had all but done with Edmonton that would have sent Martin to the Oilers for Paul Coffey. This was during the period Martin was out with the knee. The book relates that Coffey was struggling defensively in Edmonton and that the Oilers were looking for a linemate for Gretzky. Bowman says it fell through because Coffey was first star -- or a star -- in consecutive games in Edmonton. I was at the Sabres' 14-4 win over the Leafs in March. I took a bus from PA to Hamburg to meet my dad, who was working in the Buffalo area for the day. When the bus stopped outside the mental health institution in Gowanda, I was convinced my parents had used the ruse of a hockey game to get me committed. Alas, the bus pulled away. We sat in the oranges for the first time. Incredible experience. My dad said he felt like he was going to go over the balcony. I'll never forget the "We want 15!" chant. A few weeks later we were at the game against the Bruins the day President Reagan was shot. I'm still surprised the game was held. The building was so quiet until Uncle Milt announced that the president was out of surgery and doing OK. The weather was so murky. It's weird the things you remember.
Eleven Posted August 22, 2009 Report Posted August 22, 2009 PA, I remember being at a youth center w/ my sis when Reagan was shot. It was surreal. Is it 1981-82 now? Anyone want to take a crack at it?
Mbossy Posted August 23, 2009 Report Posted August 23, 2009 PA, I remember being at a youth center w/ my sis when Reagan was shot. It was surreal. Is it 1981-82 now? Anyone want to take a crack at it? I was a sophomore in HS and smoking way too much weed to remember anything. :beer:
Eleven Posted August 23, 2009 Report Posted August 23, 2009 I was a sophomore in HS and smoking way too much weed to remember anything. :beer: Fine, I'll start: A young Mbossy was stoned out of his freaking mind, and so was the Sabres front office, as the Sabs drafted such future hockey wonders as Jiri Dudacek, Hannu Virta, Jim Aldred, and Colin Chisolm in the first three rounds. Thank you, Scotty Bowman, you complete POS. Not one player taken--Gates Orlando included--ever meant a freaking thing in this league. And my complete hatred of that frontrunning Bowman began. I still set candles in this weird five-pointed arrangement once in a while, just for him. Scotty, you ruined this team for years, you dumb f&ck. Oh, and this was the year that you refused to travel to Montreal, because you were on "scouting assignments," too, right? Couldn't coach your team in the Forum? You limpy. (Sorry, everyone. But I did invite others to do the writeup for this year.)
nobody Posted August 23, 2009 Report Posted August 23, 2009 I've blocked the 80's Sabres out of my mind.
Stoner Posted August 23, 2009 Report Posted August 23, 2009 Bowman went back behind the bench after one season as GM only. He allowed Jim Roberts to take over, then reassumed the reins later in the season. A fiasco, if you ask me. Gretzky broke Espo's record at the Aud in February. The Sabres lost in the first round of the new divisional playoff format, to the Bruins. Mbossy, speaking of wasted minds, I'll be damned if I can remember a Paul Harrison playing goal for the Sabres that season, let alone in Game 2 in Boston! But the "highlight" of the season was probably the biggest trade in Sabres history. It was pretty stunning but all in all not a bad trade for the Sabres.
Stoner Posted August 23, 2009 Report Posted August 23, 2009 Fine, I'll start: A young Mbossy was stoned out of his freaking mind, and so was the Sabres front office, as the Sabs drafted such future hockey wonders as Jiri Dudacek, Hannu Virta, Jim Aldred, and Colin Chisolm in the first three rounds. Thank you, Scotty Bowman, you complete POS. Not one player taken--Gates Orlando included--ever meant a freaking thing in this league. I don't know, I liked Virta. He put up some decent numbers. Or maybe I just liked the way his name sounded rolling off Rick's tongue.
Eleven Posted August 23, 2009 Report Posted August 23, 2009 Bowman went back behind the bench after one season as GM only. He allowed Jim Roberts to take over, then reassumed the reins later in the season. A fiasco, if you ask me. Gretzky broke Espo's record at the Aud in February. The Sabres lost in the first round of the new divisional playoff format, to the Bruins. Mbossy, speaking of wasted minds, I'll be damned if I can remember a Paul Harrison playing goal for the Sabres that season, let alone in Game 2 in Boston! But the "highlight" of the season was probably the biggest trade in Sabres history. It was pretty stunning but all in all not a bad trade for the Sabres. The biggest trade in Sabres history, IMO, didn't happen for another ten years, in 1992. But thanks--I mean this--for reminding us of Gretzky's goal on Edwards. That certainly is a moment worth mentioning; it was forgotten during my tirade against Bowman (which I still think is a righteous tirade against that f&cker that ruined the team for years). Cool piece of NHL history took place at the Aud that night, even if our No. 1 was victimized. Paul Harrison played goal? Wasn't he one of the Beatles?
Stoner Posted August 23, 2009 Report Posted August 23, 2009 The biggest trade in Sabres history, IMO, didn't happen for another ten years, in 1992. But thanks--I mean this--for reminding us of Gretzky's goal on Edwards. That certainly is a moment worth mentioning; it was forgotten during my tirade against Bowman (which I still think is a righteous tirade against that f&cker that ruined the team for years). Cool piece of NHL history took place at the Aud that night, even if our No. 1 was victimized. Paul Harrison played goal? Wasn't he one of the Beatles? The Hasek trade was the most important trade, but at the time it happened, no one paid any attention. Gare and Schoeny et al. was an earthquake! Maybe it was Paul Hamilton in goal? Anyone remember what happened to Edwards? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwEI4xpf3mc
Eleven Posted August 23, 2009 Report Posted August 23, 2009 The Hasek trade was the most important trade, but at the time it happened, no one paid any attention. Gare and Schoeny et al. was an earthquake! Maybe it was Paul Hamilton in goal? Anyone remember what happened to Edwards? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwEI4xpf3mc Seriously, when the Hasek deal happened, I was celebrating with a friend (a Habs fan, even, but he was happy to see it anyway). We knew, and I mean it, we knew. Maybe it was lightning in a bottle (after all, I'm the guy who defended Max for years; I can't be that reliable of a predictor), but I remember celebrating the goalie of the future with bottles of MD on the rooftop of our fraternity house back then. We paid attention. I was thrilled. It was NOT Paul Hamilton in goal. After all, areas of the goal were available to shoot at, right? And yes, the Gare trade was huge. To Detroit, which was a horrible team during the early part of my hockey-watching life. Besides the Bowman connection, I still don't like Detroit because of the "hockeytown" branding they brought in once the team righted itself after decades of stumbling. "Hockeytown?" Really? Did you have any fans at all between 1970 and 1995? And kickass vid. Thanks!
Stoner Posted August 24, 2009 Report Posted August 24, 2009 Seriously, when the Hasek deal happened, I was celebrating with a friend (a Habs fan, even, but he was happy to see it anyway). We knew, and I mean it, we knew. Maybe it was lightning in a bottle (after all, I'm the guy who defended Max for years; I can't be that reliable of a predictor), but I remember celebrating the goalie of the future with bottles of MD on the rooftop of our fraternity house back then. We paid attention. I was thrilled. It was NOT Paul Hamilton in goal. After all, areas of the goal were available to shoot at, right? And yes, the Gare trade was huge. To Detroit, which was a horrible team during the early part of my hockey-watching life. Besides the Bowman connection, I still don't like Detroit because of the "hockeytown" branding they brought in once the team righted itself after decades of stumbling. "Hockeytown?" Really? Did you have any fans at all between 1970 and 1995? And kickass vid. Thanks! I'm calling BS. I guess we have to move on to 82-83. BTW, where the hell is spndnchz? Get the guys all horned up and leave -- typical. So the Sabres lost to the Bruins three games to one in the new divisional playoff format. 82-83 started with a pair of 6-4 losses to Quebec. The Sabres got off to a very slow start, but wowie, was Housley something. Eleven, don't you have to give Scotty credit where credit is due?
nobody Posted August 24, 2009 Report Posted August 24, 2009 I guess we have to move on to 82-83. BTW, where the hell is spndnchz? Get the guys all horned up and leave -- typical. Did you forget that you have her in your basement? You better go check on her.
Stoner Posted August 24, 2009 Report Posted August 24, 2009 Did you forget that you have her in your basement? You better go check on her. Damn! Uh oh!
Mbossy Posted August 24, 2009 Report Posted August 24, 2009 I'm calling BS. I guess we have to move on to 82-83. BTW, where the hell is spndnchz? Get the guys all horned up and leave -- typical. ... So who said what to her? Atypical for her to go missing.
SwampD Posted August 24, 2009 Report Posted August 24, 2009 So who said what to her? Atypical for her to go missing. I believe she said she was leaving town for a while and that we would need to be on the mid 80s when she got back. Today or tomorrow I think.
Stoner Posted August 25, 2009 Report Posted August 25, 2009 So who said what to her? Atypical for her to go missing. ink's been missing too. I'm juss sayin'...
Mbossy Posted August 25, 2009 Report Posted August 25, 2009 Isn't this about the time that the Earl of Bud started selling beer at games? Might have been 80-81? "Tequila"
Stoner Posted August 25, 2009 Report Posted August 25, 2009 Eleven, the board turns its lonely eyes to you. What the hell season is it? We never got to Bobby O and Brad Park, did we?
Mbossy Posted August 25, 2009 Report Posted August 25, 2009 How about 1983-1984? Sabres have five first round picks. LaFontaine at # 3 and Barrasso at # 5. Barrasso, a bear at 6'-3" and 210lbs wins both the Calder Trophy and Vezina with a 2.66 GAA. I remember this year as the year we couldn't beat the Nordicks. I think we won one game against them all season and they swept us in the playoffs.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.