Seven things to worry about

[Stoner]

Two admissions: 1. I've seen two full Sabre games all year and part of a third, although I've listened to almost every game in its entirety on the radio and follow the team like a maniac on the Internet. I've learned a lot from you guys. Thanks. 2. I've been wrong about this team on almost every count. I didn't think Regier had a plan, and if he had a plan, I didn't think in year one they would even make the playoffs. I also predicted that Lindy Ruff would stifle Thomas Vanek and, most recently, that the Sabres would hang around .500 after the Olympics. I think I will stop right there.

 

Having crushed my credibility, here are some things this neurotic worrywort is, umm, worried about. If you experts can address them in a logical way, I think even this old skeptical fan will start to get (more) excited.

 

1. Injuries. This team seems to be injury-prone. I saw Connolly's knee do the cha-cha again last night. Are guys being hurried back? Is it a training issue? Is Briere's tummy gonna do the splits again during the playoffs? How will Numminen hold up through May and hopefully June?

 

2. (or 1A) Depth. If the Sabres lose a couple of defensemen, how do they survive?

 

3. Inexperience. So many guys have never played in a playoff game. The biggest concern here, obviously, is in goal, where neither guy has had a sniff of Stanley's jock. It really is a different game.

 

4. Ryan Miller. Is his recent play something to worry about down the road, or can he quickly regain his form? Goalie play is mostly in the head. The Olympic motivation is gone, and Marty Biron is still around, breathing down his neck. Is that it? Or has he just hit a wall in his first full NHL season?

 

5. Shorthanded goals. These can kill you in the playoffs. Just kill you. I'm really worried about this.

 

6. Officiating. There are a few rumblings starting up about how games are called in the third period. Are the refs really going to call the late stages of a tight playoff series the same way they called games in December? This seems to be critical to the Sabres' chances. They are built for the new NHL. The same old NHL doesn't help them.

 

7. Otwat---. They won with Dom. They are winning without him. They are loaded for bear at both ends of the ice (goals for and goals against numbers don't lie). They have crushed us several times THIS SEASON. They have a frickin' Canadian Mountie sing the national anthem. What makes anyone think the Sabres can beat the Senators in a seven-game series?

[DR HOLLIDAY]

You worry to much, step back and enjoy the season man, many teams have the same questions.

[Saber61]

7. Otwat---. They won with Dom. They are winning without him. They are loaded for bear at both ends of the ice (goals for and goals against numbers don't lie). They have crushed us several times THIS SEASON. They have a frickin' Canadian Mountie sing the national anthem. What makes anyone think the Sabres can beat the Senators in a seven-game series?

 

well who knows maybe the thrashers will make the last playoff spot or even 7th and they've been known to take it to the senators.... we may not even have to play them... if a lower team takes them to 7 games in the first and we beat say the rangers or flyers in 4 or 5 then were rested and ready to take on a weaker team instead of a team like ottawa... we must look at calgarys example or even anahiems... calgary just kept pushing... tired or not. skill or not... all you can do is keep pushing down that 200 feet of ice... anhiem however took alot of goaltending skill and luck to get as far as they did. But hey well see how it plays out... hopefully in our favour.

[topshelfcookies]

Hey man...while I hear your concerns, and they are legitimate concerns, I think ALL of us need to realize how special this season, and this team is. I'm on Spring Break and have nothing to do, so here are some lengthy thoughts...

 

1. Injuries. This team seems to be injury-prone. I saw Connolly's knee do the cha-cha again last night. Are guys being hurried back? Is it a training issue? Is Briere's tummy gonna do the splits again during the playoffs? How will Numminen hold up through May and hopefully June?

 

While the Sabres have had their share of injuries, I look at Philly, who has lost more than 300 man games to injuries, or the Rangers who are up there as well. Buffalo has coped with injuries to integral players better than any other team in the East, possibly the league. If anything, Ruff and his staff have erred on the side of caution when returning players from injuries. Miller was fully healed, and Marty was on his winning streak, so they gave him a few extra days. Briere could have played before the Olympics if it was the playoffs, but they gave him the extra 2 weeks. This must have been difficult because Danny sounded (to quote Brad Riter of WGR) like a kid on christmas eve for about a week straight. The Sabres used the same approach with both Connolly and Kalinin. Both were cleared to play before the trade deadline, but the Sabres held off a few more days (though this was mainly so the team wasn't forced to make roster moves). Injuries will happen, but I don't believe it's neccisarily a training issue and rushing guys back.

2. (or 1A) Depth. If the Sabres lose a couple of defensemen, how do they survive?

If the Sabres lose 1 D-Man I think they'll still be "alright", though with each injury to a blue-liner, their chances of winning the cup does decrease. If one guy goes down now, Rory is back in the lineup, after that we'd start bringing up guys like Nathan Paetsch, then Jillson and Janik. I believe all of them have played a few minutes in the NHL this season, though obviously it wouldn't be a fantastic situation.

3. Inexperience. So many guys have never played in a playoff game. The biggest concern here, obviously, is in goal, where neither guy has had a sniff of Stanley's jock. It really is a different game.

 

Justifiable concern... I agree this will be the biggest issue this team deals with (once Miller gets his head or more acurately, his glove, screwed on right). While I will not argue that regular season games can completely prepare you for the second season, I think it should be stated that the Sabres have performed well in adverse situations, which attests to the character of this team, which bodes well for the playoffs. The last Ottawa game was pretty close to a playoff-intensity game, and the boys hung in there. They consistently are able to win games coming from behind, and suddenly can score no matter what the situation is. Remember just a few short months ago when we were all talking about how "ineffective" the offense was in 5 on 5's? So much for that. Also the Sabres have the second best road record in the league (21-8-2, only Detroit is better)...which goes a long way in the playoffs, as well as a great home record (top 5 in wins). Games like the one in Philly last weekend go a long way towards showing what type of team you have, and how they might respond in the playoffs. Down 2 early, battle back, loose a lead, battle back, give up a shorthanded goal (tons of momentum to the home team), battle back. These guys have so much confidence...it's great.

 

The NJ broadcaster was on WGR a couple days ago, talking about goaltending in the playoffs. Remeber this...Buffalo isn't the only one in the East dealing with playoff inexperience in net. Only the Devils and Senators (IF Hasek is healthy) have goalies that have lots of playoff experience. The NJ guy said that the new rule changes will also make a difference in the playoffs. With refs calling games as they have this entire season (which pretty much everyone agrees will happen), playoff games will have a bit more flow to them, and be less chippy, thus more offensive opportunities. Instead of only maybe getting 2 or 3 quality scoring chances a period, as in playoffs past, teams are more likely to get 5 or 6. Also, if a team gets a lead, they can't just trap and grab and hold the rest of the game, and ice the puck continuously when they are trapped in their own zone and need a change.

4. Ryan Miller. Is his recent play something to worry about down the road, or can he quickly regain his form? Goalie play is mostly in the head. The Olympic motivation is gone, and Marty Biron is still around, breathing down his neck. Is that it? Or has he just hit a wall in his first full NHL season?

 

I think Miller is just going through a bit of a slump. However, at least 3 of the 5 goals vs TB were really strange goals that no one else would have stopped either. Against Philly I think 3 were just absolutley perfect shots...they would hit pipe then go in. You're right...he hasn't been himself, and didn't look good vs the Caps last night, but I thought the 3rd period was important. He seemed to sort of right the ship and finally had a really good period. Lindy is doing the right thing letting him work through this "slump". A solid game vs TOR, then its OTT, and he'll be fine.

5. Shorthanded goals. These can kill you in the playoffs. Just kill you. I'm really worried about this.

 

Yes, they can kill you, but so can going 3-6 on your PP, or converting 20% of your chances. It's a trade off. The Sabres have given up 16 SHG, most in the NHL. The only other playoff teams to give up double digits are currently Nashville and Anahiem (11) and LA (10). Look at it this way, the Sabres are averaging giving up a SHG once every 4 games. However, over the course of 4 games, they've been averaging scoring 5+ PPGs. So while in a 7 game series, they would average giving up not quite 2SHG (1.75 actually). they would also score approximately 9PPGs. I'll take it.

6. Officiating. There are a few rumblings starting up about how games are called in the third period. Are the refs really going to call the late stages of a tight playoff series the same way they called games in December? This seems to be critical to the Sabres' chances. They are built for the new NHL. The same old NHL doesn't help them.

 

This IS the new NHL. I understand your concerns, but everyone...from Bettman, to announcers/"experts" on CBC, MSG, ESPN, CNNSI, CBS and even locally, everyone doesn't see why the league would simply allow the refs to pocket their whistles come April/May and June. If they do...shame on the league.

7. Otwat---. They won with Dom. They are winning without him. They are loaded for bear at both ends of the ice (goals for and goals against numbers don't lie). They have crushed us several times THIS SEASON. They have a frickin' Canadian Mountie sing the national anthem. What makes anyone think the Sabres can beat the Senators in a seven-game series?

 

I think I'll wait to address this after Saturday's game. Lately, most teams have been looking at games vs. the Sabres as "measuring stick games". How far along are they, as compared to a team that is a perfect example of what it takes to win in the new NHL. I think that Saturday, in Ottawa, is a measuring stick game for the Sabres. Don't forget, this is a completely different team this week, than it was the nights they lost 10-4 and 6-1 back in November. The last game they played against Ottawa in February (the 2-1SO), the Sabres showed they could literally and figuratively skate with the Sens. The Sabres are playing even better now than they were then...

 

Buffalo plays Ottawa 4 more times before the end of the season, not to mantion games vs playoff contenders such as Carolina (twice), Atlanta, NYR, NJ, Philly and Montreal (twice).

[Stoner]

Wow, great reply! Thanks.

[fushetti]

Mark, how do you not have Center Ice? This season alone shouldve compelled you to open the purse strings being the huge Sabre maniac you are.

 

Your concerns are justified...but there are many teams in the same situation. I'm not too worried. I'm actually in the belief that they are better than anyone in the east right now. Miller will regain form. We're OK brother.

[Stoner]

I waited too long. My cable company says they can't add it this late in the season. Gotta look at dishes now, I guess.

[nfreeman]

All valid concerns. I think we have enough to overcome all of them with one huge exception: Miller. I am frankly very worried that he's lost his confidence. Yes, he played a better in the 3rd period last night, but for 6 games now, it seems like every moderately difficult-to-save shot has gone in. His attempt on that breakaway goal he gave up to Halperin last night was pathetic -- he looked completely beleaguered.

 

His past suggests that he may have a problem putting mistakes out of his mind and re-focusing. I think there is a high risk that he gets shelled against Ottawa and turns into a basket case for the rest of the season. That, my friends, will spell the end of our Cup chances.

 

We've been able to beat the crappier teams in the league on this recent winning streak with sub-par goaltending. That won't be possible against Ottawa and Carolina.

 

I am fervently hoping we pass Ottawa in the standings so we can end up with the #2 seed in the conference. This will be tough to do but not impossible, even with Miller having the shakes. That way we would play the #3 seed (Rangers or Philly) in the 2nd round of the playoffs, either of whom I think we can beat without Miller at 100% sharpness. Ottawa would be #4 and play Carolina in the 2nd round, and we'd get the winner in the conference finals -- and we'd only have to beat one of those 2 teams, not both. That would also give Miller a good amount of time to get his edge back.

 

No matter what happens, this is one of my all-time favorite teams in any sport. What a great ride they have given us.

 

Go Sabres.

[Monkeygirl]

Hey MZ, it was great writing for you.

I have this scrapbook I started in 2001 I believe. It's full and very diverse. Pictures, columns, newspaper clipings, signatures, comics, etc. It's probably my favorite possession, that and my peter forsberg plaque which I got as a present, but he has an avs jersey on that one, don't worry. I ended it the scrapbook before I actually finished it. I knew it had to end with the little thing I wrote about Hasek, after he left. And on the back is a picture of NO Goal...I think I'm going to start a new scrapbook.

[MLH]

None of your concerns are ridiculous, but at the same time they're pretty much universal in the East. There isn't a team in the NHL that's going to be able to absorb injuries to two top-6 defenseman without it harming their chances. Who in the East doesn't have goaltending concerns? New Jersey, I guess, but even if they make the playoffs, Brodeur has been average this year.

 

Who of the contending teams in the East have a ton of good playoff experiences? Buffalo, Carolina, Atlanta and the Rangers are all pretty young with some notable exceptions. Ottawa has experience, but mostly at choking or underachieving. The Lightning obviously are defending champs, but they might miss the postseason and have a huge hole in the nets. New Jersey and Philly have some experience, but a lot of their players are new too. It's not like our guys have never seen the postseason either. Teppo, Drury, McKee, Afinogenov, Hecht, Briere, Dumont, Grier, Kalinin, Lydman, Mair, and Fitzpatrick have all played in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

Shorthanded goals are a legitimate worry, but as has been pointed out by Lorentz and numerous people here, it's all part of a tradeoff. Plus, I don't expect them to be as big of an issue in the postseason as teams are less likely to gamble and make a ton of shorthanded rushes. Two of the shorties have also been into empty nets and we're above .500 in games that we've given up a SH goal excluding the two ENers.

 

Obviously, the Sabres benefit from a tightly officiated game. Still, our speed was a huge factor even in old NHL playoffs. This is the fastest team we've had in years. We also have the best special teams we've had in years. Even if they put the whistles away, we're not at a disadvantage; it just takes away part of our advantage. And to be honest, the teams that I'm really worried about in the East (Ottawa and Carolina) would be just as harmed as us. This benefits Philly and New Jersey most. I think we'd beat Philly either way and I'm rooting hard for NJ to miss the playoffs.

 

The winner of our division will likely be the 1 or 2 seed in the East. We're not going to fall below the 4th seed as we have big leads on both Philly and the Rangers, with games in hand, and they play each other three more times. We want Ottawa to get the 1 seed if we don't (unless you're of the opinion that Carolina is better). I don't think we'll meet Ottawa until the ECF if at all. We'll see how Dom's groin is in late May and early June, but I have a feeling Emery will be seeing time in the postseason. Ottawa will be tough to beat, but they are certainly beatable, especially with Hasek out. That said, hopefully someone else does it for us.

 

To be honest, I think this team is built for the playoffs.

 

1) We have four extremely solid lines. We have a checking line, which if focused entirely on defense, should be able to shut down our opponent?s best offensive line for the most part. Other teams won't be able to do that with us. We have the most forward depth and balanced scoring in the East.

 

2) Goaltending is obviously huge in the playoffs. Philly and Tampa are in bad shape in that regard. Montreal, Atlanta, and Carolina are all worse than us in the nets. The four teams with the best goaltending are New York, New Jersey, Ottawa, and Buffalo. None of these teams are without questions. Hasek's health and stamina are glaring concerns. Brodeur hasn't been himself and has been playing especially poor recently. Miller and Lundqvist are unproven. I don't see any team in the East substantially ahead of Buffalo in this department.

 

3) Special teams have to be sharp. Buffalo and Ottawa have the best special teams in the NHL. Tampa Bay and the Devils have poor power plays. Philly and New York are average. Atlanta, Montreal, and Carolina are good, while Buffalo and Ottawa are elite. Similarly, Philly, Atlanta, and Montreal have lousy PK units. Tampa Bay, New Jersey, and Carolina are average, while the Rangers, Sabres and Senators are elite.

 

4) Team speed. We're as fast as anyone in the NHL. I have no concerns here.

 

5) Defense wins championships so goes the saying, but Tampa was primarily an offensive team in 2004. That's not to say they were bad defensively, they certainly weren't, but a style like ours is good for the playoffs. Barring injuries, we have no glaring holes on the blueline. There's not too many defensive corps I like in the East, I'd go so far as to say that if Kalinin meets expectations we jump to the second best unit in the conference behind the Sens.

 

6) Coaching is vital. We have the longest tenured coach in the NHL and he'll be a Jack Adams candidate and likely should be the winner. I'm content here.

 

7) Momentum and health. We'll have to wait and see on this one, but our games against Ottawa are extremely important from a momentum and psychological standpoint.

[Taro T]

Two very good posts by Topshelf and MLH. They saved me a lot of typing, thanks guys.

 

The Sabres will match up very well against Philly, TB, or Atlanta. Depending upon the reffing, the Sabres should match up well with NJ as well. If the refs let a lot of stuff go, the Sabres could have serious trouble with NJ.

 

The Rangers match up better against the Sabres than I expected them to, but the only spots that I think the Rangers out match the Sabres is on the 1st forward line and in net (assuming Ryan continues his current "struggles", if he goes back to pre-Olymic play, then the goaltending is even). The Sabres have much better depth and slightly better special teams.

 

I'm looking forward to the last 2 games against Carolina because I think the Canes minus Cole do not match up nearly as well as they did with him. (How's that for obvious?)

 

The Canadiens scare me because they have the ability to skate with the Sabres. If Huet gets / stays hot, they could be much tougher than people expect.

 

Obviously Ottawa scares me, but not nearly as much with Emery as they do w/ Hasek. If Havlat and Hasek are back, I do not like Buffalo's chances (my pick would likely be Otters in 6); if neither are, I could see the Sabres winning in 5 or more likely 6. If they get one of the 2 H's back, hello Game 7.

 

I would like to see the Flyers, Bolts, or Thrashers in the 1st round. I would not mind seeing the Rangers 1st round. I do not want to see the Habs nor the Devils. I don't see any scenario where the Sabres face Carolina or the Otters in the 1st round.

 

I am not 100% convinced that Ryan will come through in the playoffs (not because of the recent slump but because of his play in Ra-cha-cha during the playoffs). If he can play close to the level he was at prior to the Olympic break, this could be a very special season. Fortunately, as others have mentioned, the rest of the East has questions in goal as well come playoff time and Ryan's inexperience does not automatically give another team an edge over the Sabres.

 

If Ryan plays the way he did before the Olympics, the team stays relatively healthy, and the Otters do not get both Havlat and Hasek back; then I think the Sabres will be the team to beat in the East regardless of playoff seeding. If Ryan can't raise his game back up, then the Sabres are a darkhorse.

 

One variable that I haven't heard mentioned yet, is for the 1st playoff game the crowd is going to be insane. (1st playoff game of any major sport in the city in 5 years.) I am hoping Lindy has a plan on how to keep the players even keeled for that one (I expect that he will). In Game 3 of the Finals, the crowd was insane and the players were flying for the 1st 5-10 minutes of the game. Although the players were flying, they didn't get many shots on net (they actually nearly had more broken sticks than shots for their efforts). After that, they played very lethargic (IMO) and Dallas won a critical game. This shouldn't be a huge concern, but the Sabres will need to stay focused during that 1st game to make sure the dream stays alive. (It actually says a lot about how good the Sabres have been this season, that one of my concerns is an intangible that about 25 teams in the league would love to have to worry about.)

[Stoner]

You guys must play a lot of softball. You knocked my soft lobs out of the park. :)

[bob_sauve28]

All I'll say PA is enjoy this for all it's worth. No team wins without some luck, whether it's avoiding injuries on not getting a goal called back even though your foot was in the crease in game six overtime of the finals. Don't worry about what you cannot control. The best part of winning this season is that they were not suppose to. It's always so much more fun watching an up and comming team. When your team is suppose to win it's just a relief when they win and not as much fun. That said, I'll still be throwing beer cans at the tv and drooling like a maniac yelling "they always screw us!" the first time a ref blows a call in the playoffs, but hey, that's all part of the fun! :P

[Knightrider]

As far as the inexperience goes, while there are a lot of players without a ton of playoff experience, we do have players who have been on both sides of the Stanley Cup finals (Drury & McKee, and I guess Max). Thow in Ruff, who usually does his best coaching in the playoffs, and I suspect this inexperienced bunch is going to have a lot of experience come June...

 

Also, in goal, Marty has never played that poorly in the spring - it's the fall that he drives you nuts. Do I think Miller on his game gives us the best chance for the cup? Yes. Do I think we can win the cup with Biron in the net? With this offense, absolutely.

[bob_sauve28]

As far as the inexperience goes, while there are a lot of players without a ton of playoff experience, we do have players who have been on both sides of the Stanley Cup finals (Drury & McKee, and I guess Max). Thow in Ruff, who usually does his best coaching in the playoffs, and I suspect this inexperienced bunch is going to have a lot of experience come June...

Hear Hear! I really like our chances. It will probably come down to goaltending, so hopefully Ruff will go with the guy he feels is hot and not just declare Miller the starter no matter what

[deluca67]

This team has already broken the mold (and ready to break records) set by previous Sabre teams. There are two major things to keep in mind :

 

1) No one knows this teams imperfections more then the team its self. It's what keeps them humble and dangerous.

 

2) It's not just about this year. This team is a result of a Plan, a Plan I had no faith in but have been converted. The Sabres have not sold out like Carolina and other teams. This is a team that will roles quality players through the system like they role four lines. If this team stumbles in the first round? Then it happens. This franchise is the model for the 'NEW NHL'.

 

Peace B-)

[bob_sauve28]

This team has already broken the mold (and ready to break records) set by previous Sabre teams. There are two major things to keep in mind :

 

1) No one knows this teams imperfections more then the team its self. It's what keeps them humble and dangerous.

 

2) It's not just about this year. This team is a result of a Plan, a Plan I had no faith in but have been converted. The Sabres have not sold out like Carolina and other teams. This is a team that will roles quality players through the system like they role four lines. If this team stumbles in the first round? Then it happens. This franchise is the model for the 'NEW NHL'.

 

Peace B-)

Really, how many other teams can roll four dangerous lines? That will help if we go far in the playoffs.

[MLH]

As far as the inexperience goes, while there are a lot of players without a ton of playoff experience, we do have players who have been on both sides of the Stanley Cup finals (Drury & McKee, and I guess Max). Thow in Ruff, who usually does his best coaching in the playoffs, and I suspect this inexperienced bunch is going to have a lot of experience come June...

 

As far as I know, Max wasn't part of the 'No Goal' team, but Lydman did play in games 5, 6, and 7 of the last SCFs.

 

For those that are interested, here are the current Sabres past playoff stats:

 

Name MGL PO Games PO Goals PO Assists PO Points

CHRIS DRURY 1 80 26 24 50

ALES KOTALIK 0 0 0 0 0

TIM CONNOLLY 12 0 0 0 0

MAXIM AFINOGENOV 5 16 2 4 6

THOMAS VANEK 0 0 0 0 0

TEPPO NUMMINEN 1 54 8 9 17

JOCHEN HECHT 2 27 8 10 18

BRIAN CAMPBELL 0 0 0 0 0

DEREK ROY 0 0 0 0 0

DANIEL BRIERE 32 6 2 1 3

JASON POMINVILLE 0 0 0 0 0

PAUL GAUSTAD 4 0 0 0 0

JEAN-PIERRE DUMONT 28 13 4 3 7

MIKE GRIER 1 40 7 5 12

HENRIK TALLINDER 0 0 0 0 0

JAY MCKEE 6 34 1 3 4

DMITRI KALININ 23 13 0 2 2

TONI LYDMAN 6 6 0 1 1

TAYLOR PYATT 32 0 0 0 0

ADAM MAIR 27 10 0 1 0

RORY FITZPATRICK 8 6 1 1 2

RYAN MILLER 18 0 0 0 0

MARTIN BIRON 0 0 0 0 0

210 305 59 64 122

 

The MGL is this season's man games lost which I've been tracking (and therefore isn't 100% accurate) and has nothing to do with the playoffs.

 

A total of 305 NHL playoff games isn't too inexperienced.

[Knightrider]

Really, how many other teams can roll four dangerous lines? That will help if we go far in the playoffs.

 

Chances are, you are right. The cool thing is, most of this team isn't going anywhere. Jay, will probably be gone, but I suspect Darcy won't need to overpay to get free agents to come here next year the way he would have last summer.

[Knightrider]

As far as I know, Max wasn't part of the 'No Goal' team, but Lydman did play in games 5, 6, and 7 of the last SCFs.

 

 

 

 

I didn't remember him either, but TSN has him in 5 NHL playoff games that year with one assist. Did a quick seach, but couldn't find any details...

 

Forgot all about Lydman...

[Stoner]

Max arrived the year after the finals. Those five playoff games were in 2000 against the Flyers.

[fushetti]

I didn't remember him either, but TSN has him in 5 NHL playoff games that year with one assist. Did a quick seach, but couldn't find any details...

 

Forgot all about Lydman...

 

Max's rookie year was the year after No Goal. He played in the 2000 and 2001 playoffs.

 

Max arrived the year after the finals. Those five playoff games were in 2000 against the Flyers.

 

Great, steal my thunder. ;)

[Knightrider]

Max arrived the year after the finals. Those five playoff games were in 2000 against the Flyers.

 

 

Thank you. A little dense tonight...

 

To both of ya...

[nfreeman]

I waited too long. My cable company says they can't add it this late in the season. Gotta look at dishes now, I guess.

 

 

call 1-800-directv, tell them you're thinking about switching over from cable but you have to have center ice, free equipment, the Tivo box, and free installation. My prediction is that they will set you up with everything for zero cost (although you might have to commit for a year and will probably have to pay for Center Ice). I've had DirecTV for 9 years now and have missed very few sabres (or bills, for that matter) games despite no longer living in Buffalo.

 

DirecTV is actually a bit cheaper than cable and has much better service.

 

Also, Tivo is the greatest invention ever for the sports fan. You don't miss anything and you can check out a replay whenever you want.

 

I try not to tell other people what to do, but YOU NEED TO DO THIS. There aren't that many games left and you need to see as much of this team as you can. They are thrilling and a joy to watch. The speed, the highlight-reel plays, the esprit de corps -- I've never enjoyed a professional team's season like this. Also, I think you will need Center Ice for at least the 1st round of the playoffs.

 

Don't blow this off. Everyone here knows that when you really like a team, a season like this doesn't come around that often.

[bob_sauve28]

Max arrived the year after the finals. Those five playoff games were in 2000 against the Flyers.

Didn't he play against the Penguins in that series we lost in game 7 ot? I seem to remember him playing against them. A certain play sticks in my memory from that series.