Highest point in your Sabre life?

[deluca67]

Clipping the order card off of the carton of milk for tickets to the Sabres open practice. Getting up early to take the #5 Niagara down to the Aud and stand in line longer than the practice was just to see those players I watched on TV in person.

[X. Benedict]

A lot of the same moments already mentioned but I was never prouder then when the team got a standing ovation when they played at the Montreal Forum a couple of days after they beat the Russians 12 to 6. I just got goose bumps typing this.

 

More than the scoring I just remember Craig Ramsay playing as if his life depended on it and a look of pure determination like the guy would have given a kidney to win that game.

[That Aud Smell]

Good topic - the way the question is phrased helps make the matter more personal.

 

Like others, it's all about the 2006 playoffs for me (and I was plenty old enough to recall May Day). My top 3 (in no particular order): Ott'wa Game 1 (delirium), Ott'wa Game 6 (whhaaaaaaatt?!), and Carolina Game 6 (the process of leaving the arena was somehow better than seeing Briere's winner sneak in).

Edited May 16, 2014 by That Aud Smell

[Kristian]

Playoff victories are always great. And there's been some really, really outstanding games. But there's a few games I hold very dear. Here's one.

 

But I specifically remember going to game six of the first round of the 2001 playoffs. This was the squad that was headlined by Satan, Barnes, Dumont, Gratton, GIlmour, Zhitnik. The Flyers had eliminated us the year before in the first round, and it was payback time. We were up 3-2 in the series, after two OT victories for us, but we had let the Flyers grab the previous game. It was a Saturday afternoon matinee game. Nobody was prepared for the complete ass whooping that the Flyers were about to receive in game six.

 

We score first, about 2:30 into the first period, and that gets the party rocking. Then Cechmanek seems to lose all motor function and we score three more goals in the last seven minutes of the of the first period, going up 4-0. By the third goal, the crowd is completely off its rocker and going bananas. There's no stopping it now. This pain train had no brakes, and Dumont's breakaway goal early in the 2nd period to put us up 5-0 was the evidence. The Sabres would finish off the decrepit Flyers by bludgeoning them with a rock, final score 8-0. Eight goals on 26 shots. The home crowd just ate it up, and we partied all night long all over town. It was glorious.

 

Every Flyers fan in attendance was eternally shamed- there were several Flyers jerseys found in trash cans around the arena. A year later, the Flyers would be eliminated in the first round again (by the Sens), scoring the fewest goals in a five game series ever. This resulted in head coach Bill Barber's prompt firing.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX4R2DWVhs8

 

Box Score: http://sportsillustr.../04/21/buf_phi/

 

Article: http://usatoday30.us...4-21-bufphi.htm

 

This one definitely ranks up there.

 

Had a buddy at the time who was a die-hard Flyers fan, and the year before we lost to the Cryers in 5 games, in one of the worst officated series I ever saw.

 

He of course, couldn't see anything wrong with the officiating.

 

That 8-0 whoopin' was the biggest, baddest, "in your face" game I ever saw.

 

The 2006 series whoopin's rank up there as well.

[Peppy22]

http://youtu.be/ti2RDsbJQRI

It was close to 4 am in germany and I will never forget that moment.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Peppy22

[Guest Sloth]

The highest point for me was beating Ottawa in the 2006 playoffs, with 7-6 being the highest of the highest. Ottawa had an incredible team that year. I don't think anyone outside of the Sabres' locker room thought the Sabres could win that series. But Lindy did, and Drury, Briere, Grier and McKee weren't afraid of anyone.

 

Beating them as an underdog, especially in the context of the franchise's then-recent history (i.e. team rising from the ashes of bankruptcy, felonious owner, near-departure of franchise, no playoffs for 5 years), was fantastic, thrilling and unforgettable.

 

Those were the days.

 

Agreed. The 2006 Ottawa series was incredible. There was still such much doubt on the Sabres, Barry Melrose, ok not a great source, felt Ottawa could come back from after winning game 4 and putting the series at 3-1. Will never forget Pommers knocking the Senators out of the playoffs w/ his shorthanded goal in overtime. Made Alfredsson and Emery look really bad. It was awesome.

[K-9]

"Thank-you Sabres!" era.

 

Ottawa series, '06.

 

Drury's clutch goal vs. Rangers.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[nfreeman]

A lot of the same moments already mentioned but I was never prouder then when the team got a standing ovation when they played at the Montreal Forum a couple of days after they beat the Russians 12 to 6. I just got goose bumps typing this.

More than the scoring I just remember Craig Ramsay playing as if his life depended on it and a look of pure determination like the guy would have given a kidney to win that game.

 

Great call.

 

It's hard to imagine now, but playing the Russians back then was like what playing al Qaeda would be now -- if al Qaeda was extremely good at hockey and had already beaten us a number of times. It was good vs evil, with real-world life and death very much in the picture. The fans wanted desperately to win and the players wanted it even more than the fans did.

 

The Sabres thrashing the Russians in that game, at that point in history, was one of their all-time greatest moments.

[mphs mike]

I've got to agree that "Thank you Sabres" and beating the Soviet Wings are unbelievable memories.

My favorite goal was probably the OT winner in the Forum in the 75 semi-finals - we were coming home to vanquish the Habs!

Favorite game I attended was watching Schoenfeld beat up Cashman - in the Zamboni entrance, Orr & adnais in the same game his rookie year

[X. Benedict]

 

Favorite game I attended was watching Schoenfeld beat up Cashman - in the Zamboni entrance, Orr & adnais in the same game his rookie year

 

If I could get the flux capacitor working on my Delorean, I would be there too.

[shrader]

Great call.

 

It's hard to imagine now, but playing the Russians back then was like what playing al Qaeda would be now -- if al Qaeda was extremely good at hockey and had already beaten us a number of times.

 

Maybe that's why we keep striking all of their training camps.